Our  Mexicans 


Rev.  Robert  M.  Craig 


HOME  WiSSlONS 

OF    THE 

[SBYTgRf AN  CHURCtiU.S.A. 


BX   8954 


N6 


J-cans 


1 


OUR   MEXICANS 


BY   THE 


Rev.  ROBERT    M.   CRAIG 


NEW  YORK 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions 

OF  THE  Presbyterian  Church 

IN  THE  U.   S.   A. 

1904 


Copyright,  1904,  bt 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions 

OF  THE  Presbyterian  Church 

IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


THE  trow  press,  NEW  YORK 


FOREWORD 

To  know  the  history  of  our  Church  in  our 
land  is  to  be  interested  in  Home  Missions. 

Our  Board  of  Home  Missions  is  therefore 
placing  before  our  young  people — for  general 
reading  or  for  use  in  study  classes — a  series  of 
sketches  which  trace  the  planting  and  progress 
of  gospel  truth  among  our  Indians,  Mexicans, 
Mormons,  Mountaineers  of  the  South,  Alaskans, 
and  the  dwellers  in  Porto  Rico  and  Cuba.  A 
seventh  book  in  this  series  introduces  its  read- 
ers to  seven  typical  home  mission  heroes. 

This  little  library  of  seven  volumes,  written 
by  those  who  know  the  work,  is  warmly  com- 
mended for  accuracy  and  attractiveness. 


AUTHORS  PREFACE 

The  limits  of  this  text-book  have  pre- 
vented any  extended  reference  to  the  dis- 
covery, explorations,  and  conquest  of  New 
Mexico.  The  reader  will  find  a  fuller  ac- 
count in  the  works  of  Bancroft,  Prince, 
Haines,  Storms,  and  Lummis.  From  these 
authors  the  writer  of  these  pages  has  drawn 
freely  and  gratefully  owns  his  obligations. 

R.  M.  C. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Discovery  and  Exploration 1 

II.     Conquest  and  Colonization 12 

III.  Our  Mexicans 21 

IV.  The  Penitentes 34 

V.     Sister  Churches  at  Work 42 

VI.     First    Presbyterian     Missions    in     New 

Mexico 48 

VII.     Progress    of    Presbyterianism  in    New 

Mexico .54 

VIII.     Early  Missionaries 60 

IX.     Our  Plaza  Schools 69 

X.     Our  Boarding-Schools 80 

XI.     Personal  Pictures     ........  89 

XII.     Encouragements  and  Outlook ....  98 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

Our  Mexican  Evangelists     ....      Frontispiece 

OPPOSITE 

{Rev.  John  L.  Schultz     ^    page 
Rev.  D.  F.  McFarland    V    .     51 
Rev.  James  M.  Roberts  J 

Rev.  John  A.  Annin 61 

Rev.  James  A.  Menaul 67 

The  Allison  School— First  Pupils  1 

/>     .      .     81 
The  Allison  School — Present  Buildings  j 

Pierson  Hall 86 

Rev.  Gabino  Rendon 92 


OUR   MEXICANS 

CHAPTER    I 

DISCOVERY    AND    EXPLORATION 

"  Oh  that  thou  wouldst  .  .  .  enlarge  viy  coast!" 
—I  Chron.  iv:  10. 

Soon  after  Columbus  had  discovered  Amer- 
ica, France  and  England  came  upon  the 
scene  as  rival  powers  to  dispute  with  each 
other  and  with  Spain  the  right  to  these  new 
possessions.  But  for  many  years  the  Span- 
iards met  with  little  opposition  in  the  South- 
west, except  from  the  natives,  in  their  strug- 
gle to  extend  the  territory  of  Spain  in  the 
New  World  and  find  the  stores  of  precious 
metal  hidden  away  among  tribes  yet  un- 
known. 

It  was  on  June  17th,  1527,  when  Charles  V 
was  King  of  Spain,  that  an  expedition,  com- 
manded by  Panfilo  de  Narvaez  with  Cabeza 
de  Vaca  as  treasurer,  bearing  the  title  of 
high  sheriff,  and  accompanied  by  five  Fran- 
1 


2  OUR    MEXICANS 

ciscan  friars  headed  by  Juan  Xuarez,  set 
sail  from  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda  with  the 
avowed  object  of  conquering  and  colonizing 
all  the  country  from  Rio  de  la  Palsraas,  on 
the  east  coast  of  Mexico,  one  hundred  leagues 
north  of  Vera  Cruz,  to  the  southern  extrem- 
ity of  Florida.  This  included  all  the  States 
of  the  Union  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, besides  a  part  of  northeastern  Mexico 
itself,  including  New  Mexico. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  may  be  gath- 
ered from  the  petition  of  the  leader  of  the 
expedition  to  the  King  of  Spain.  In  this 
the  petitioner  proposes  to  traffic  with  the 
natives  of  the  coast  and  to  take  thither  re- 
ligious men  and  ecclesiastics  to  make  known 
and  plant  the  Christian  faith.  He  then  mod- 
estly asks,  among  other  things,  that  for  this 
service  to  king  and  country  he  be  made 
governor  and  chief  justice  during  his  life, 
and  captain-general,  with  adequate  salary 
for  each  position;  also  that  he  receive  for 
himself  one-tenth  of  all  the  royal  rents  for- 
ever and  that  he  be  made  adelantado  (high 
admiral)  of  these  territories  for  himself,  his 
heirs,  and  his  successors. 

This  request  was  granted  and  a  proclama- 
tion furnished  which  was  to  be  made  to  the 
conquered,  to  the  ejffect  that  God,  our  Lord, 
who  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  gave 


EXPLORATION  3 

to  one  person — Saint  Peter — the  whole  world 
for  his  kingdom,  lordship,  and  jurisdiction; 
that  one  of  the  popes  who  succeeded  Peter 
made  a  gift  of  these  islands  and  territories 
to  the  Emperor  and  Queen;  and  that  writ- 
ings were  given  which  were  to  be  seen  if 
desired.  The  conquered  are  then  called  upon 
to  recognize  the  Church  as  mistress  and  su- 
perior of  the  universe  and  the  High  Pontiff 
in  its  name.  They  were  assured  if  they 
thus  obey  they  will  be  received  with  love, 
but  if  not  they  are  warned  that  they  will  be 
enslaved  and  brought  into  subjection  to  the 
Church  and  the  yoke  of  their  majesties. 

Armed  with  such  authority  Narvaez  and 
his  companions  started  with  five  vessels  and 
six  hundred  men,  and,  after  encountering 
violent  winds  and  storms  and  desertions  of 
men,  they  landed  on  the  west  coast  of  Florida, 
near  Tampa  Bay,  in  April,  1528.  On  the 
following  Saturday  the  Spanish  ensign  was 
raised  and  the  country  taken  for  the  King 
of  Spain. 

Failures  and  disappointments  led  the  com- 
mander to  move  westward,  and  so  the  expe- 
dition divided,  the  army  marching  inland, 
while  the  ships  went  along  the  shore  looking 
for  a  harbor. 

On  Sunday,  May  1st,  the  parties  sepa- 
rated, never  to  meet  again.     Little  is  known 


4  OUR    MEXICANS 

of  their  course  or  their  adventures  except 
that  the  survivors,  three  Spaniards  and  a 
Negro,  wandered  for  eight  years  before  they 
reached  the  Gulf  of  California. 

From  the  most  reliable  sources  of  infor- 
mation it  is  gathered  that  in  1536  a  party 
of  scouts  in  northern  Mexico  found  Cabeza 
de  Vaca  and  the  Negro,  and  soon  after  they 
reached  San  Miguel  and  then  Old  Mexico. 

Some  writers  are  of  the  opinion  that 
Cabeza  in  his  wanderings  touched  certain 
places  in  New  Mexico,  while  others  contend 
just  as  vigorously  that  he  never  saw  the 
country.  Be  that  as  it  may,  his  story  was 
of  the  deepest  interest,  and  the  Spaniards 
listening  to  it  fancied  themselves  in  posses- 
sion of  the  "Seven  cities  of  Cibola"  with  all 
their  stores  of  golden  treasures.  All  Mexico 
was  in  a  ferment.  A  general  desire  for 
exploration  followed,  and  so  in  1539  an  ex- 
pedition was  sent  out  under  command  of 
Vasquez  de  Coronado,  who  was  the  first  to 
attempt  the  conquest  of  New  Mexico  and 
the  exploration  of  this  hitherto  unknown 
territory. 

A  small  party  under  Marcos  de  Niza 
a  Franciscan  friar,  was  sent  out  to  find 
Cibola.  He  was  accompanied  by  Father 
Onorato,  a  brother  monk,  Estevanico,  the 
Negro,  and  a  number  of  Indians. 


EXPLORATION  5 

They  started  on  March  7th,  and  after 
travelling  along  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of 
California  twenty-five  leagues  they  came  to 
a  desert.  Crossing  this  they  reached  a  city 
called  Vacupa,  from  which  the  Negro  was 
sent  forward  to  explore.  The  exaggerated 
reports  sent  back  by  the  Negro  induced  Mar- 
cos to  advance.  They  passed  through  the 
Gila  Valley,  not  far  from  the  present  city  of 
Tucson,  Arizona,  and  then  onward  until  they 
came  within  sight  of  Cibola  (Zuni),  but  here 
the  Negro  was  captured  and  put  to  death. 

The  friar,  alarmed,  decided  to  retire;  but 
before  doing  so  he  ascended  a  high  hill 
where  he  could  see  Cibola,  raised  a  heap  of 
stones,  set  up  a  cross,  and  under  the  text, 
"The  heathen  are  given  as  an  inheritance," 
took  possession,  naming  the  province  "El 
Nuevo  Regno  de  San  Francisco" — The  New 
Kingdom  of  Saint  Francis. 

The  Indians  became  enemies,  and  he  re- 
turned with  "more  fear  than  food"  to  his 
place  of  starting. 

When  the  friar  returned  to  Coronado  the 
latter  was  so  impressed  that  he  sent  off 
Melchior  Diaz  and  Juan  de  Zaldivar  to 
verify  his  statements,  and  with  Niza  he  him- 
self went  to  Mexico  to  tell  the  story  to  Vice- 
roy Mendoza. 

There  the  friar  stated  that  he  had  taken 


6  OUR    MEXICANS 

possession  of  Cibola,  that  he  had  been  in  the 
city  himself,  and  had  seen  the  turquoise  col- 
umns, the  beautiful  slave-girls,  and  the 
priceless  feather  cloaks  of  those  who  dwelt 
in  the  king's  palace.  He  spoke  of  the 
emeralds  and  precious  stones,  of  the  rooms 
"lighted  by  jewels,"  and  of  the  vessels  of 
gold  and  silver;  and  soon  the  minds  of  the 
Spaniards  were  inflamed,  and  Niza  was  made 
provincial  of  the  Franciscans,  and  the  Church 
and  State  united  in  the  cause  of  adventure. 

Soon  an  army  of  four  hundred  Spaniards 
and  eight  hundred  Indians  under  Coronado 
was  organized  for  the  conquest  of  Cibola. 
The  majority  of  those  joining  this  expedi- 
tion were  men  of  rank  and  social  influence. 
They  assembled  at  Compostella,  one  hundred 
leagues  from  Mexico,  and  two  ships  were 
ordered  to  follow  the  coast  to  transport  bag- 
gage and  other  equipment.  At  this  place  of 
meeting  the  viceroy  addressed  the  men  on 
the  importance  of  the  expedition,  and  they 
took  an  oath  on  the  Gospels  to  obey  their 
general.  The  whole  number  consisted  of 
fifteen  hundred  men,  with  about  one  thou- 
sand horses,  one  hundred  and  fifty  European 
cows,  and  a  large  number  of  sheep — the  lat- 
ter for  the  support  of  the  troops  and  the 
colonization  of  the  country. 

The  army  started  in  February,  1540,  and 


EXPLORATION  7 

at  Culican  Coronado  advanced  with  a  small 
body  of  cavaliers  and  foot  soldiers,  leaving 
the  main  army  to  follow  later.  Nothing  of 
importance  happened  until,  in  May,  they 
reached  the  "Red  House,"  probably  Casa 
Grande  on  the  Gila.  Here  Coronado  was 
disheartened,  yet  on  June  23d  he  started  in 
a  northeasterly  direction,  and  travelled  for 
fifteen  days.  When  nearing  Cibola  they 
saw  some  Indians,  who  uttered  such  pierc- 
ing cries  that,  it  is  said,  "The  Spaniards 
were  so  frightened  that  they  saddled  their 
horses  wrong  end  foremost."  On  July  10th, 
1540,  they  reached  an  inhabited  country, 
and  came  in  sight  of  Cibola,  standing  on  the 
ruins  of  old  Zuni.  The  natives  of  the  region 
were  prepared  for  defence,  and  Coronado 
opened  the  attack.  The  Indians  defended 
their  town,  but  were  defeated  and  fled,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  whole  country  was  sub- 
jugated. There  were  seven  cities,  but  the 
disappointment  was  so  great  that  Niza  was 
sent  back  in  disgrace  to  Sonora,  and  Coro- 
nado reported:  "He  said  the  truth  only  in 
the  names  of  the  cities  and  the  houses  of 
stone." 

The  main  army  followed  on  to  Cibola  by 
much  the  same  route  as  Coronado  had  trav- 
elled. Before  their  arrival  Coronado  had 
concluded    a    peace    with    the    natives,    and 


8  OUR    MEXICANS 

heard  of  another  province  of  seven  cities 
called  Tusayan  (Moqui),  which  the  general 
at  once  sent  Captain  Tobar  with  twenty  men 
to  explore.  Monk  Juan  de  Padilla  accom- 
panied the  expedition.  The  Indians  received 
them  with  kindness,  but  refused  to  allow 
them  to  enter,  and  the  friar  advised  an  at- 
tack. The  Indians  fled,  but  soon  returned 
and  gave  in  their  submission.  After  this  the 
army  returned  to  Cibola,  and  about  the  same 
time  Coronado  sent  twelve  men  under  Don 
Garcia  De  Cardenas  to  discover  and  explore 
the  great  river  to  the  east. 

He  secured  guides  and  provisions  at  Tu- 
sayan, crossed  the  desert,  and  discovered  the 
river,  now  named  Colorado,  and  its  Grand 
Canon. 

Soon  after  a  deputation  under  Alvarado 
was  sent  to  Cicuye  (Pecos),  accompanied  by 
a  Turk  called  Bigotes.  They  reached  Acuco 
(now  Acoma)  after  five  days'  journey.  The 
Indians  became  friendly,  and  Alvarado 
pressed  on  to  Tiguez,  probably  in  the  valley 
of  Puerco,  and  was  well  received.  He  liked 
Tiguez,  and  sent  word  to  Coronado  to  winter 
there,  while  he  pressed  on  to  Cicuye,  prob- 
ably Santa  Ana.  Coronado  came  on  to 
Tiguez  and  there  saw  El  Turcp.  Afterward 
Tiguez  was  taken  and  all  -tlie.  inhabitants 
imprisoned  or  put  to  death. 


EXPLORATION  9 

In  1541  Coronado  marched  eastward  in 
search  of  Quivira^  the  land  of  El  Turko. 
On  finding  this  city  he  was  sorely  disap- 
pointed, the  Turk  was  put  to  death,  and  the 
general  returned  to  Cicuye.  Next  winter 
Jemez  was  visited,  and  immediately  surren- 
dered. Then  other  districts — probably  San 
Juan,  San  Ildefonso,  and  Santa  Clara — 
were  visited.  The  people  fled,  and  he  then 
marched  onward  to  Baraba,  now  Taos.  The 
pueblos  in  Socorro  district  were  visited  also 
by  one  of  the  expeditions  sent  south. 

The  winter  of  1541  was  spent  at  Tiguez. 
Here  the  general  was  thrown  from  his  horse. 
This  accident  disarranged  the  plans,  and  it 
was  decided  to  evacuate  the  country.  The 
homeward  march  began  in  1542.  Two 
monks.  Fray  Jean  de  Padilla  and  Padre 
Louis,  remained  behind  in  the  hope  of  con- 
verting the  natives.  The  former  went  to 
Quivira,  where  he  was  at  once  murdered. 
Louis  went  to  Cicuye,  but  nothing  more  was 
ever  heard  of  him. 

For  forty  years  no  efforts  were  made  to 
colonize  New  Mexico.  In  1581  a  Franciscan 
friar  named  Augustine  Rodriguez,  fired  by 
religious  ardor,  asked  for  authority  to  enter 
the  country  and  undertake  the  conversion  of 
the  natives.  This  was  granted,  and  prepa- 
rations were  at  once  commenced.     The  friar 


10  OUR    MEXICANS 

was  accompanied  by  two  brother  monks, 
Juan  de  Santa  Maria  and  Francisco  Lopez, 
twelve  soldiers,  and  a  number  of  servants. 

They  followed  the  Rio  Conchos  to  its 
meeting  with  the  Rio  Grande,  thence  up  that 
river  to  Puera,  about  eight  miles  from  Albu- 
querque. There  the  soldiers  left  Rodriguez 
and  returned  to  their  starting-point.  The 
priests  went  on  to  Galisteo,  and  were  so 
pleased  that  they  determined  to  send  Juan 
de  Santa  Maria  to  Spain  for  missionaries, 
but  on  his  journey  south  he  was  killed  at 
San  Pablo  and  his  body  burned.  The  two 
other  priests  stayed  at  Puera  for  some  time, 
but  shortly  afterward  Francisco  was  killed 
by  an  Indian.  Rodriguez  then  went  to  San- 
tiago, but  soon  met  the  same  fate,  and  his 
body  was  thrown  into  the  stream. 

Allien  tidings  came  to  Mexico  of  the  death 
of  the  friars  an  interest  was  roused;  Don 
Antonio  de  Espejo  offered  to  pay  the  ex- 
penses and  command  the  expedition  in  per- 
son, and  on  December  15th,  1582,  he  set  out 
on  his  exploration. 

They  journeyed  northward,  meeting  Ind- 
ians and  visiting  pueblos.  They  visited 
Isleta  and  Puera,  where  they  heard  of  the 
death  of  the  friars.  After  seeing  the  to^vns 
previously  visited  by  Coronado  and  his  men, 
in  1583  they  started  homeward. 


EXPLORATION  11 

During  the  next  fourteen  years  a  number 
of  applications  were  made  for  a  contract 
to  conquer  and  colonize  New  Mexico^  and 
several  attempts  were  made,  but  not  till 
1598-99  did  Juan  de  Onate  succeed  in  the 
undertaking  for  the  King  of  Spain. 


CHAPTER    II 

CONQUEST    AND    COLONIZATION 

"  This  land  shall  he  your  possession  before  the  Lord" 
— ^Num.  xxxii:  22. 

In  1595  Don  Juan  de  Ofiate  offered  to 
furnish  two  hundred  men  at  his  own  expense 
for  the  conquest  and  colonization  of  New 
Mexico.  This  was  accepted,  and  he  was 
given  five  years  to  complete  the  work.  In 
1598  the  expedition  was  ready  and  started 
northward. 

The  force  numbered  four  hundred  men, 
one  hundred  and  thirty  accompanied  by  their 
families,  also  ten  Franciscan  friars,  eighty- 
three  wagons,  and  seven  thousand  head  of 
cattle,  and  an  escort  of  Chichuneca  troops. 

On  April  20th  they  reached  the  Rio 
Grande,  where  Onate  took  formal  possession 
of  New  Mexico  for  God,  the  king,  and  him- 
self. Religious  services  were  held  in  a 
chapel  built  for  the  occasion.  Many  of  the 
soldiers  here  deserted  .and  returned  to  IVIex- 
ico,  but  the  settlers  remained.  On  May  4th 
the  army  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  at  El  Paso, 
12 


COLONIZATION  13 

and  proceeded  northward  until  Socorro  was 
reached  by  Onate  and  fifty-four  men^  where 
the  natives  made  them  welcome.  Thence  the 
advance  party  proceeded  northward  to  Cia, 
and  from  San  Felipe  to  Santo  Domingo, 
which  was  chosen  as  head-quarters  and  where 
a  convent  named  Ascencion  was  founded. 
One  of  the  party  was  sent  back  to  bring  up 
the  rest  of  the  wagons,  and  the  colonists 
joined  the  advance  party  in  August.  The 
Spaniards  met  with  no  opposition  in  their 
marches,  and  on  July  7th,  1598,  representa- 
tives of  thirty-four  villages  went  to  Santo 
Domingo  and  swore  allegiance  to  their  new 
masters.  Later  all  went  to  San  Juan,  which 
remained  some  years  the  capital  and  centre 
of  the  colony.  After  making  a  tour  of  the 
provinces,  work  was  begun  on  La  Ciudad 
de  la  Santa  Fe  de  San  Francisco — the  city 
of  the  Holy  Faith  of  Saint  Francis,  the 
present  Santa  Fe. 

On  August  18th  the  rear-guard  arrived, 
and  on  September  7th  a  mission  chapel  was 
consecrated  with  great  ceremony.  Two  days 
later  an  assembly  was  held,  at  which  native 
chieftains  expressed  willingness  to  have 
friars  at  their  pueblos  and  to  obey  their  in- 
structions, whereupon  the  monks  were  sent 
out  to  the  different  pueblos. 

Nothing    of    importance    occurred    during 


14  OUR    MEXICANS 

the  next  year  except  the  conquest  of  the 
Acomas,  who  alone  remained  enemies.  After 
that  for  eighty  years  little  is  kno-wTi  of 
New  Mexican  history.  The  colony  pros- 
pered, villages  sprang  up  in  the  valley  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  and  the  priests  were  zealous 
in  baptizing  Indians  and  founding  missions. 
In  1599  more  troops  arrived,  and  eight  friars 
joined  the  colony. 

San  Juan  remained  the  capital  until  1640, 
when  it  was  moved  to  Santa  Fe. 

During  these  years  Romanism  spread  rap- 
idly. In  1608  the  Franciscan  records  show 
eight  thousand  converted,  and  in  1621  the 
records  show  sixteen  thousand  five  hundred 
converts,  while  in  1626  over  thirty-four  thou- 
sand Indians  had  been  baptized  and  forty- 
three  churches  erected. 

Soon,  however,  discontent  appeared.  The 
severity  of  the  Spanish  laws,  civil  and  ec- 
clesiastical, the  inquisition  which  had  been 
established,  and  the  tribute  which  was  ex- 
acted to  support  the  garrison,  the  missions, 
and  the  churches,  fanned  the  fire  of  rebellion 
until,  in  1645,  it  broke  out,  but  was  soon 
crushed.  Again  in  1650  a  plot  was  formed 
to  kill  all  the  soldiers  and  the  priests  and 
drive  the  rest  from  the  country,  but  this  also 
was  discovered  and  promptly  frustrated.  In 
1675    several    friars    were   killed.      Constant 


COLONIZATION  15 

troubles  arose  and  paved  the  way  for  the 
storm  which  was  soon  to  burst  upon  the 
colony. 

The  10th  of  August^  1680^  was  fixed  as 
the  day  for  the  uprising.  The  knotted  rope 
— their  call  to  arms — had  been  sent  from 
pueblo  to  pueblo,  but  the  plot  was  discovered 
two  days  previously,  and  the  only  hope  was 
in  an  immediate  attack.  Accordingly,  on 
August  9th,  the  settlements  were  attacked, 
and  about  four  hundred  Spaniards  perished. 
The  final  stand  was  made  at  Santa  Fe,  where 
a  thousand  Spaniards  were  besieged.  After 
a  gallant  sortie,  in  which  many  of  the  Ind- 
ians were  killed,  on  August  20th  it  was  de- 
cided to  abandon  the  city.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  the  first  colonists  of  New  Mexico 
left  the  city  of  Santa  Fe  to  face  the  perils 
of  the  long  march  to  the  south.  After  suf- 
fering severe  hardships  they  reached  El 
Paso,  where  they  determined  to  winter.  A 
few  priests  remained  behind,  but  not  one 
escaped  martyrdom.  They  were  subjected 
to  shocking  cruelties,  and,  as  Prince  says, 
"so  utterly  did  the  mild  nature  of  the  Pueblo 
appear  to  have  been  changed  in  half  a  cen- 
tury and  so  terribly  did  the  persecutions 
which  the  misdirected  zeal  of  some  of  the 
ecclesiastics  inaugurated  react  on  others,  many 
of  whom  were  men   of   great  kindness   and 


16  OUR    MEXICANS 

benevolence,  and  all  of  whom  had  shown 
marked  self-sacrifice  and  zeal,  that  decrees 
were  issued  for  the  destruction  of  every 
vestige  of  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
Spanish  authority." 

Early  in  1681  the  colonists  who  had  fled 
were  re-enforced,  and  Governor  Otermin  at- 
tempted the  reconquest  of  New  Mexico,  but 
failed.  Nothing  of  importance  was  accom- 
plished until  1691^  when  Don  Diego  de 
Vargas  undertook  the  generalship  of  the 
Spanish  army,  and  in  1692  began  the  march 
for  Santa  Fe,  which  surrendered  on  Septem- 
ber 13th.  The  Indians  received  absolution 
for  their  sins,  and  a  thousand  children  were 
baptized. 

After  a  trip  through  the  North,  Vargas 
returned  to  Santa  Fe  and  recommended  to 
the  Viceroy  of  New  Spain  that  garrisons  be 
established  in  different  towns ;  that  five  hun- 
dred families  and  one  hundred  soldiers  be 
sent  at  once;  and  that  blacksmiths,  carpen- 
ters, and  other  mechanics  be  sent  from  the 
jails  of  Zacatecas,  Queretaros,  and  Rosaro 
to  the  colony  to  act  as  teachers  and  to  search 
for  mines. 

After  visiting  nearly  every  pueblo  of 
importance,  baptizing  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  natives  and  rescuing 
seventy-four   Spanish   women    and   children. 


COLONIZATION  IT 

Vargas  arrived  at  El  Paso  on  December  20th, 
1692,  and  at  once  commenced  preparations 
for  colonizing  the  province.  On  October  11th, 
1693;,  he  set  out  with  a  new  expedition  of 
fifteen  hundred  persons,  including  seventeen 
friars.  They  met  with  suspicion  and  dis- 
trust; yet  after  long  marches,  anxiety,  and 
battles,  by  November  24th,  1696,  all  the  pue- 
blos had  submitted  except  Acoma,  Santa 
Clara,    Santa    Domingo,   and    Cochiti. 

With  the  exception  of  some  outbreaks  by 
wandering  tribes  of  Indians  the  eighteenth 
century  was  one  of  comparative  quiet. 

In  1796  the  Franciscan  fathers  took  a 
census  of  the  civilized  pueblos,  in  which  were 
found  14,167  whites  and  9,-^53  Indians.  In 
1798  there  were  15,031  whites  and  9,732 
Indians,  while  in  1799  Governor  Chacon's 
report  gives  18,826  whites  and  9,732  Ind- 
ians, Santa  Fe  at  that  time  having  a  popula- 
tion of  3,795. 

The  nineteenth  century  was  to  bring  many 
changes  in  the  conditions  and  government  of 
New  Mexico.  In  1803  the  United  States 
secured  from  France  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase, and  Spain  became  somewhat  uneasy 
at  the  rapid  gro^vth  of  this  new  republic. 
Traders  were  looked  upon  with  suspicion, 
and  questions  of  boundary  were  constantly 
causing  trouble.     Texas  had  been  settled  by 


18  OUR    MEXICANS 

Spaniards  as  early  as  1690,  and  now,  when 
the  United  States  claimed  territory  as  far 
west  as  the  Rio  Grande,  numerous  conflicts 
arose. 

It  was  in  1807  that  Zebulon  M.  Pike  vis- 
ited New  Mexico  by  mistake.  He  had  been 
sent  from  St.  Louis  to  pacify  the  Kansas 
and  Osage  Indians  and  to  explore  the  region 
of  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers.  He  was 
instructed  not  to  offend  the  New  Mexicans, 
and  to  keep  clear  of  their  territory.  After 
finding  Pike's  Peak  the  party  moved  south- 
ward in  search  of  the  Red  River,  and  soon 
they  reached  a  stream  which  they  supposed 
to  be  the  river  they  sought.  They  built  a 
fort  and  raised  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  They 
were  soon  visited  by  a  company  of  horsemen 
who  informed  them  that  they  were  on  New 
Mexican  soil,  and  that  the  governor  required 
their  presence  in  Santa  Fe  to  explain  the 
purpose  of  their  errand.  After  visiting 
Santa  Fe  they  were  taken  to  Chihuahua, 
Mexico,  where  they  were  detained  for  some 
time  and  then  sent  back  to  the  United  States. 

In  1819  a  movement  began  in  Mexico 
against  Spanish  control.  Spain  and  New 
Mexico  became  a  Mexican  department  in- 
stead of  a  Spanish  province,  and  in  two 
years  New  Mexico  became  a  territory  of  the 
Republic  of  Mexico. 


COLONIZATION  19 

In  1837,  because  of  taxation,  a  revolution 
broke  out,  and  a  new  government  was  or- 
ganized, which,  however,  was  short-lived, 
and  New  Mexico  was  received  again  as  a 
Territory  of  Mexico. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  while  Texas 
won  her  independence  in  1835,  Mexico  had 
not  acknowledged  it,  and  so  when  Texas 
sought  annexation  to  the  United  States  in 
184-5  and  obtained  it,  war  resulted. 

The  feeling  in  New  Mexico  was  that  the 
Territory  would  advance  more  rapidly  imder 
American  than  under  Mexican  rule.  So 
when  General  Kearney,  in  August,  1846, 
reached  Santa  Fe,  he  took  possession  without 
a  shot  being  fired  or  a  drop  of  blood  shed, 
and  on  September  22d  New  Mexico  was 
proclaimed  a  part  of  the  United  States,  un- 
der the  name  of  "The  Territory  of  New 
Mexico." 

The  caravan  trade  with  Santa  Fe  began 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century.  Within 
twenty-five  years  the  value  of  goods  im- 
ported amounted  to  $90,000  per  annum,  and 
by  1846  to  $1,750,000. 

New  Mexico  advanced  rapidly.  Railroads 
succeeded  the  wagon-train,  new  life  brought 
business  and  prosperity,  and  the  dreaming 
of  centuries  became  forever  a  thing  of  the 
past.      Mines    are    being    developed.      Agri- 


20  OUR    MEXICANS 

culture  is  being  pressed  in  the  Pecos  Valley, 
in  the  valleys  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  the 
San  Juan,  while  flocks  of  sheep  and  herds 
of  cattle  everywhere  prove  the  advancing 
prosperity. 


CHAPTER    III 


OUR    MEXICANS 


"  We  ivait  for  light  .  .  .  but  we  walk  in  dark- 
ness."— Isa.  lix.  9. 

To  speak  of  the  Spanish-speaking  people 
living  within  our  gates  as  "Mexicans,"  in 
contradistinction  to  Americans,  is  to  use  a 
term  that  is  not  only  misleading,  but  unjust 
to  this  people  and  hurtful  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  Southwest.  Let  us  not  forget 
when  the  term  "Mexican"  is  used  with  refer- 
ence to  part  of  our  population  that,  while 
there  is  some  difference  in  race  and  blood 
between  the  descendants  of  the  Spanish  set- 
tlers of  New  ]\Iexico  and  the  later  emigrants 
from  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  if  anybody- 
is  entitled  to  the  name  "American"  it  surely 
is  the  people  who  are  descendants  of  men 
and  women  who  lived  in  New  Mexico  when 
the  ancestors  of  these  later  comers  were  liv- 
ing in  poverty  in  some  European  hamlet  or 
Asiatic  village. 

Let  us  not  forget  that  no  one,  no  matter 
what  his  color  or  circumstances,  has  a  right 
21 


22  OUR    MEXICANS 

to  arrogate  to  himself  the  name  "American" 
to  the  exclusion  of  this  splendid  race  who 
have  been  Americans  longer  than  any  Son 
or  Daughter  of  the  Revolution,  or  than  any 
family  that  can  trace  its  ancestry  back  to 
the  Mayflower.  Our  Mexicans  are  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred  thousand 
people  of  Spanish  origin,  of  whom  at  least 
two  hundred  thousand  are  residents  of  New 
Mexico,  Arizona,  Colorado,  California,  and 
Texas. 

Spanish  Origin 

The  first  attempt  to  colonize  New  Mexico 
was  made  by  Castano  de  Soso  in  1590. 
With  one  hundred  and  seventy  persons — 
men,  women,  and  children — he  entered  the 
comitry  by  way  of  the  Pecos  Valley,  intend- 
ing to  plant  a  colony.  He  went  almost  as 
far  as  the  present  boundary  of  Colorado  and 
then  moved  south  down  the  Rio  Grande  Val- 
ley, but  disaster  overtook  this  and  several 
other  attempts  to  settle  New  Mexico. 

In  1598,  as  has  been  seen,  Oilate  made 
another  attempt  to  colonize  the  country. 
Besides  a  number  of  Franciscan  friars,  he 
had  about  two  hundred  men,  several  with 
families,  and  eighty  wagons  and  seven  thou- 
sand cattle.     This  company  travelled  up  the 


OUR    MEXICANS  23 

Rio  Grande  as  far  as  Rio  Chama,  where  they 
settled  and  buiit  a  church.  This  was  the 
first  Spanish  settlement  in  New  Mexico^  and 
was  named  San  Gabriel  or  San  Juan  de  los 
Caballeros. 

Soon  after  this  a  number  of  other  settle- 
ments were  effected,  the  principal  of  which 
was  at  Santa  Fe  in  l607  or  I6O8. 

In  the  revolution  of  I68O  these  colonies 
were  broken  up  and  the  colonists  driven 
from  the  country.  But  in  1693  a  party  from 
Mexico  reached  Santa  Fe  without  interrup- 
tion, and  began  anew  the  recolonization  of 
the  country.  To-day  in  New  Mexico  are 
found  the  descendants  of  these  Spanish  con- 
querors and  colonists. 

As  the  tourist  looks  from  the  car-windows 
or  alights  from  the  train  he  sees  and  hears 
much  that  surprises  and  often  leads  to  very 
incorrect  opinions.  He  forgets  that  for  more 
than  three  centuries  these  people  have  lived 
far  from  the  busy  world,  and  although  of 
late  years  the  railroad  has  come,  bringing 
with  it  new  civilization,  yet  New  Mexico 
still  remains  a  land  of  quaint  and  curious 
customs.  One  bent  on  investigation  sees  the 
men  and  women,  of  short  and  dark  visage, 
wearing  their  sombreros  and  rehosas,  guid- 
ing their  caravans  of  bridleless  donkeys 
along   the   street   as    they   call   out,    "Liana, 


24  OUR    MEXICANS 

liana"  (wood,  wood),  or  "albuquoques" 
(apricots),  and  such  merchandise.  As  he 
hears  an  unknown  tongue  in  the  coimtry 
that  is  our  very  own,  and  sees  what  he  is 
inclined  to  call  a  "foreign  people,"  he  at 
once  thinks  of  the  cowardly  Spaniard  of 
whom  he  has  heard,  stealing  from  tree  to 
tree  in  order,  if  possible,  to  pierce  the  in- 
vader with  his  stiletto. 

But  the  average  Mexican,  doubtless  affect- 
ed by  the  climate  of  the  Southwest,  has 
hardly  enough  of  ambition  to  run  about  from 
place  to  place,  and  as  a  race  they  seem  fond 
of  putting  off  any  task  as  long  as  possible. 
It  is  this  peculiarity  that  has  led  to  the  say- 
ing that  the  Mexican  lives  in  the  land  of 
manana — to-morrow.  Though  this  name  may 
well  be  applied  to  many,  and  though  the 
majority  of  the  people  are  poor  in  the  ex- 
treme, yet  many  of  them  are  quite  industri- 
ous and  make  a  fair  living  from  their  little 
ranches  and  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  while 
others  engage  in  business  with  considerable 
success. 

In  the  manner  of  living  and  social  customs 
of  this  people,  while  there  is  much  to  sad- 
den, there  is  also  much  from  which  we  may 
all  learn  lessons. 

The  people  live  mostly  in  houses  built  of 
adobes.     The  adobe  may  be  simply  a  "sod" 


OUR    MEXICANS  25 

peeled  from  the  lawn^  but  the  real  adobe  is 
a  mixture  of  mud  and  straw  put  into  a  box 
two  feet  long,  eight  inches  wide,  and  four 
inches  deep,  and  then  turned  out  in  the  sun 
to  dry.  These  "adobe  brick"  are  laid  upon 
each  other  in  a  mortar  of  their  own  mud, 
the  floors  are  of  native  earth,  and  the  roof 
is  covered  with  poles,  called  vigas,  crossed 
with  branches,  which  in  turn  are  covered 
with  clay  and  gravel. 

There  may  or  may  not  be  small  openings 
to  let  in  the  light  and  air.  The  houses  are 
usually  very  small,  consisting  of  only  one 
or  two  rooms,  into  which  a  whole  family  is 
crowded.  There  they  live,  and  eat,  and 
sleep — a  custom  which  is  not  at  all  favorable 
to  the  development  of  the  true  moral  nature. 
Notwithstanding  their  humble  homes,  the 
average  Mexican  is  hospitality  personified. 
He  is  always  kind  and  polite  and  ready  to 
entertain.  I  have  known  whole  families  to 
leave  their  only  room,  insisting  on  placing  at 
the  disposal  of  the  stranger  everything  in 
their  little  home,  and  in  sharing  their  brown 
beans  and  their  quenchless  chili,  their  came 
and  huevos  (eggs)  with  the  stranger.  They 
have  the  scriptural  grace  of  hospitality. 

In  the  home  the  children  have  special 
reverence  for  their  parents,  and  the  old  are 
carefully   looked   after.      The   hombre   rules 


26  OUR    MEXICANS 

supreme,  and  the  wives  and  daughters  serve 
their  lords  and  masters. 

Many  customs  remind  one  of  Bible  lands 
in  Bible  times.  The  way  they  prepare  their 
food,  plough  their  lands,  thresh  their  grain 
and  separate  it  from  the  chaff;  the  way  the^ 
mix  the  straw  and  chaff  with  mud  and  mould 
the  sun-dried  bricks;  the  way  they  herd 
their  cattle  and  watch  their  sheep,  and  carry 
burdens  on  their  heads,  and  glean  and  gather 
up  their  crops — these  and  a  thousand  other 
things  remind  one  forcibly  of  the  land  in 
which  our  Saviour  lived  two  thousand  years 
ago. 

But  while  it  is  true  that  the  ^lexicans  re- 
tain many  of  their  old  customs  and  notions, 
and  are  slow  to  change  them,  the  wonder  is 
that  during  their  fifty  years  within  the 
bounds  of  the  United  States  so  much  has 
been  accomplished. 

The  Roman  Catholic  clergy,  French  and 
Italian,  for  ages  have  held  complete  sway 
over  the  minds  and  bodies  of  this  people. 
As  nothing  was  done  for  either  their  educa- 
tion, their  elevation,  or  their  comfort,  it  is 
surprising  that  the  work  of  assimilation  ad- 
vances so  steadily.  Notwithstanding  the  de- 
nunciations of  wrathful  priests  who  threaten 
their  people  with  anathema  and  excommuni- 
cation   if    they    send    their    children    to    the 


OUR    MEXICANS  27 

schools  or  sell  property  to  "those  Protes- 
tants/' the  very  people  thus  denounced  are 
pleading  for  our  mission  schools. 

We  certainly  have  an  open  door.  Preju- 
dices are  disappearing.  New  interest  is 
being  manifested  in  education  and  general 
progress.  The  Mexicans  are  desirous  of 
bettering  their  condition^  and  are  willing  to 
give  up  their  old  customs,  the  language  and 
even  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  when  they 
are  convinced  that  a  better  is  offered. 

Educational   Conditions 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Superintendent 
of  Schools  of  New  Mexico  for  I9OI  shows 
seventy-three  city  schools,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  4,902  out  of  a  school  popula- 
tion of  12,321,  or  a  little  more  than  thirty 
per  cent,  of  the  school  population.  But  in 
the  cities  our  schools — and  they  are  good 
ones — are  largely  attended  by  American 
children  rather  than  the  bright-eyed  Mexican 
boys  and  girls. 

The  same  report  shows  six  hundred  and 
twenty-one  "schools"  in  the  counties  open 
for  an  average  of  four  and  a  third  months 
in  the  year  with  an  average  attendance  of 
23,412  out  of  a  school  population  of  62,864. 
In  other  words,  rather  more  than  one-third 


28  OUR    MEXICANS 

of  the  entire  school  population  attend  school 
for  one-third  of  a  year. 

This  is  a  great  improvement  in  the  last 
ten  years,  but  the  question  of  better  school 
accommodation  and  better  education  for  the 
thousands  of  the  native  population  who  at 
no  distant  day  are  to  be  the  voters  not  only 
in  New  Mexico,  but  in  the  United  States,  is 
a  very  serious  one.  It  is  a  just  source  of 
pride  to  have  good  schools  in  our  towns  and 
cities,  expending  annually  $l6.74<  per  capita 
on  the  8,150  pupils  in  attendance;  and  well- 
equipped  higher  institutions,  supported  by 
the  public  fund,  spending  $159-66  per  capita 
annually  on  the  907  pupils  enrolled.  But 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Superintendent  of 
Education  should  remark,  "This  is  entirely 
unfair,"  and  then  enter  a  strong  appeal  for 
the  27,984  on  whose  education  there  is  ex- 
pended only  $4.94  per  capita.  Here  centres 
the  need  and  value  of  our  mission  schools,  to 
which  reference  will  be  made  in  a  future 
chapter. 

Religious  Conditions 

With  the  educational  disadvantages  to 
which  the  Mexican  people  have  been  sub- 
jected little  can  be  expected  of  their  relig- 
ious condition. 


OUR    MEXICANS  29 

When  one  reads  the  story  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  Roman  Catholicism  into  New  Mexico 
he  cannot  wonder  at  the  present  condition 
of  the  people  whose  religion  is  based  on  such 
a  foundation. 

The  treatment  of  the  Indians,  subdued  by 
the  troops,  baptized  wholesale  by  the  priests, 
and  enslaved  as  well,  is  abundant  reason 
why  the  first  Franciscan  priest,  who  came 
with  Coronado  in  1540,  suffered  death  at 
their  hands,  and  why  Rodriguez  and  his  com- 
panions, who  came  in  1582,  suffered  a  simi- 
lar fate,  and  for  the  wholesale  slaughter  in 
1680. 

Little  can  be  said  for  a  system  which  was 
for  three  centuries  or  more  the  established 
religion  of  the  Mexicans,  which  was  recog- 
nized by  peculiar  privileges,  which  was  with- 
out competition,  which  was  in  fact  a  military 
hierarchy  in  control  of  the  province,  and  yet 
which  to-day  would  have  its  adherents  in 
the  darliness  and  superstition  of  the  Middle 
Ages  but  for  the  enlightening  and  elevating 
influences  of  American  civilization  and  Prot- 
estant missions. 

Even  fifty  years  ago  Romanism  demanded 
successive  feast-days  and  parades,  many  of 
which  are  still  observed,  until  the  life  of  the 
people  was  robbed  of  all  progress  and  enter- 
prise attendant  upon  diligent  labor.     Super- 


30  OUR    MEXICANS 

stition  is  yet  encouraged.  Miracle-working 
is  still  claimed  and  trusted.  Images  are 
carried  to  the  bedside  of  the  sick,  and  the 
sick  and  lame  are  carried  to  the  churches  to 
be  cured  of  their  diseases.  The  sacred  host 
is  paraded  through  the  streets  with  great 
pomp,  while  the  people  kneel  as  the  proces- 
sion passes. 

The  patron  saint,  "our  Lady  of  Guada- 
lupe," is  one  illustration  of  many  that  could 
be  given  of  the  priestly  impositions  prac- 
tised upon  this  misled  people.  Here  is  the 
tradition  as  given  by  the  Rev.  T.  F.  Wallace: 

The  virgin  of  Guadalupe,  patroness  of 
the  Romish  Church  in  Mexico,  made  her  first 
appearance  to  the  poor  Indian,  Juan  Diego. 
She  was  seen  by  him  in  a  rainbow  over  the 
hill  Tonan  in  Topeyacac  in  the  early  morn- 
ing of  December  12th,  1531.  On  first  seeing 
her,  he  exclaimed: 

"I  am  in  the  paradise  of  my  forefathers." 

The  salutation  of  the  virgin  was  in  this 
wise: 

"My  son,  Juan  Diego,  whom  I  love  as 
I  do  a  little  delicate  child,  how  art  thou?" 

She  then  informed  him  that  she  wanted 
him  to  be  bearer  of  a  message  from  her  to 
the  Bishop  Zumarraga,  saying: 

"Thou  wilt  say  to  him  that  the  mother  of 
the  true  God  sends  him  word  that  he  is  to 


OUR    MEXICANS  81 

build  for  me  a  temple  in  which  I  can  show 
the  long-ago  motherly  affection  I  had  and 
still  have  for  the  people  of  your  race." 

Juan  Diego  took  the  message  to  the  bish- 
op, and  returned  to  the  virgin,  telling  her 
that  his  worship,  although  he  listened  to  the 
message,  took  little  notice  of  it;  and  the  poor 
Indian  besought  the  virgin  that  she  would 
choose  some  other  ambassador.  He  was 
assured  that  he  alone  would  suit  her. 

According  to  the  account,  Juan  Diego 
tried  to  avoid  compliance  with  the  virgin's 
command,  but  she  appeared  again  to  him. 
Although  he  excused  himself,  alleging  sick- 
ness of  an  uncle  and  a  nephew,  she  was  not 
willing  to  release  him,  but  sent  him  at  once 
to  the  hill  Tonan  to  cut  and  bring  her  such 
flowers  as  he  might  find  there.  Juan  Diego, 
returning  with  the  flowers,  presented  them 
to  the  virgin  in  his  ayate,  a  cloth  made  of 
the  fibre  of  the  vrtaguey,  used  as  a  manto 
(mantle)  by  the  Indians.  Touching  the 
flowers,  the  virgin  ordered  Juan  Diego  to 
carry  them  to  the  bishop  as  the  sign  he  had 
asked  to  satisfy  him  that  the  true  mother  of 
God  had  sent  Juan  Diego  to  him. 

In  a  familiar  picture  Juan  is  represented 
in  the  presence  of  the  bishop  and  his  famil- 
iars; he  has  just  opened  up  his  ayate,  in 
which  he  carried  the  flowers. 


32  OUR    MEXICANS 

These  fall  to  the  floor,  and,  lol  to  the 
amazement  of  bishop,  Indian,  and  all,  the 
virgin  is  seen  painted  upon  the  ay  ate,  just 
in  the  same  form  that  she  is  seen  in  ever}'' 
Roman  Catholic  church  and  house  in  Mexico, 
in  every  kind  and  size  of  painting,  engrav- 
ing, or  sculjDture. 

The  miners  carry  a  small  picture  of  her 
hung  about  their  necks,  and,  of  whatever 
else  they  may  divest  themselves  while  work- 
ing down  in  the  deep  silver-mines,  this  is 
never  laid  aside.  In  nearly  every  mine  they 
have  an  image  or  picture  of  her  placed  in  a 
rude  shrine^  and  before  it,  ever  burning,  one 
or  more  candles.  The  mule,  donkey,  and 
stage  drivers  carry  the  same  picture  hung 
about  their  necks.  The  women,  rich  and 
poor,  wear  breastpins  with  her  image  on 
them. 

The  greatest  feast-day  in  Mexico  (Decem- 
ber 12th)  is  that  celebrated  in  honor  of  the 
appearance  of  Nuestra  Seilora  de  Guadalupe. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  more  honor  is  shown 
and  more  sincere  worship  rendered  to  this 
patroness  of  Mexico,  and  more  trust  placed 
in  her  by  the  women  and  the  ignorant  masses 
in  the  republic,  than  in  the  only  begotten 
Son  of  God.  No  wonder  that  a  missionary 
who  has  come  in  contact  with  these  abomi- 
nations should  say: 


OUR    MEXICANS  33 

"The  Roman  Catholic  Mexican  worships 
the  mother  of  Christy  his  grandmother,  his 
father,  his  grandfather,  his  heart,  his  side, 
his  cross — in  short,  anything,  or  any  person, 
but  Christ  himself.  They  pluck  the  diadem 
from  the  brow  of  King  Jesus  in  order  to 
give  it  to  the  Pope  of  Rome." 

These  were  some  of  the  conditions  of  the 
New  Mexican  people  when  the  first  Protes- 
tants entered  the  territory  fifty  years  ago, 
and  which  are  still  found  in  many  localities 
among  this  interesting  but  misled  people 
to-day. 


CHAPTER    IV 


THE    PENITENTES 


"  Going  about  to  establish  their  own  righteousness* 
— Rom.  x:  3, 

Strange^  yet  true,  that  none  of  our  ency- 
clopaedias give  any  account  of  the  Order  of 
Penitentes  in  the  United  States.  It  is  stated 
on  good  authority  that  the  Pueblo  Indians 
had  an  ancient  custom  of  holding  a  peniten- 
tial fast  for  four  days  in  each  of  their 
pueblos.  On  that  occasion  a  small  number 
of  men  and  women  were  selected  to  bear  the 
sins  of  all.  These  were  shut  up  in  their 
sacred  council  chamber.  Before  each  was 
placed  a  "tinaja"  of  water,  of  which  they 
must  not  drink,  while  every  morning  a  dele- 
gation came  to  wash  their  feet.  This  con- 
tinued throughout  the  four  fast-days,  and 
is  the  only  form  of  penitence,  except  what  is 
imposed  by  the  Church,  known  to  have  ex- 
isted among  them. 

The  idea  of  the  whip  as  a  means  of  grace 
was  long  ago  kno^'iTi  in  the  history  of  na- 
tions. The  Egyptians,  Spartans,  and  Ro- 
34 


THE    PENITENTES  35 

mans  all  practised  whipping  as  an  atonement 
for  sin.  As  early  as  the  eleventh  century 
it  was  advocated  and  practised  by  the  car- 
dinals, and  in  1220  the  first  fraternity  for 
regular  and  public  self-whipping  was  found- 
ed. A  little  later  we  read  that  rich  and  poor 
walked  with  leathern  whips  through  the  city 
streets  whipping  themselves  until  they  drew 
blood  from  their  tortured  bodies,  and,  amid 
sighs  and  tears,  they  sang  their  penitential 
hymns  and  entreated  the  compassion  of  the 
Deity. 

For  a  century  after  this  flagellation  was 
practised  in  different  European  countries. 
Efforts  were  sometimes  made,  it  is  true,  by 
the  Romish  Church  to  stop  the  practice,  but 
again  and  again  it  was  revived  in  Italy, 
Spain,  and  France. 

About  three  hundred  years  ago  the  "Order 
of  Los  Hermanos  Penitentes"  was  founded 
in  Spain,  its  object  being  "religious  study 
and  conversation,"  and,  so  far  as  known,  the 
members  of  this  organization  were  "men  of 
good  morals  and  good  sense."  In  course  of 
time  this  order  came  to  old  Mexico,  and 
afterward,  when  the  Franciscan  friars  came 
to  New  Mexico,  they  introduced  this  system 
of  self-torture. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  public  penance  in 
New  Mexico  was  celebrated  in  1594  by  Juan 


86  OUR    MEXICANS 

de  Ofiate  and  his  men.  The  system  degen- 
erated more  and  more  as  the  years  passed, 
until  the  present  "monstrosity  had  devel- 
oped." When  this  order  came  to  New  Mex- 
ico they  found  traces  of  the  Penitentes 
among  the  Indians  previously  referred  to, 
but  nothing  so  gross  as  the  customs  intro- 
duced by  the   Franciscan  friars. 

The  number  of  Penitentes  in  New  Mexico 
in  1903  is  variously  estimated  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty-five  hundred.  They  all  claim 
allegiance  to  the  Romish  Church.  Their  be- 
lief is  founded  on  the  use  of  the  whip,  the 
cactus,  and  the  cross  as  instruments  of  tor- 
ture. 

The  only  season  in  which  the  Penitentes 
practise  their  religious  rites  is  Lent.  During 
these  weeks  the  traveller  through  the  caiions 
or  near  their  meeting-places  must  not  be 
surprised  to  witness  their  processions  as  they 
leave  the  morada  (place  of  meeting),  led  by 
their  priests  and  so-called  bands  of  music, 
the  latter  making  all  kinds  of  noises  on  their 
musical  instruments.  These  are  followed 
by  a  number  of  men,  each  carrying  on  his 
bare  shoulders  one  end  of  a  huge  cross,  while 
the  other  end,  about  twenty  feet  distant,  is 
dragging  on  the  ground.  After  these  come 
another  band,  stripped  to  the  waist,  each 
having   a  huge  cactus   bound   over   his   bare 


THE    PENITENTES  37 

shoulders,  back,  and  breast.  Then  follow 
other  men,  also  bare  to  the  waist,  lashing 
themselves  with  whips  made  from  the  amole 
or  soap-weed,  until  their  backs  are  one  mass 
of  raw  flesh.  Singing  their  weird  song  they 
pass  on  to  an  elevation  about  half  a  mile  or 
more  from  the  starting-point,  and  there  these 
deluded  creatures  prostrate  themselves  be- 
fore the  cross. 

The  whips  used  are  about  three  feet  long. 
These  have  braided  handles,  with  a  lash 
about  four  inches  across,  and  braided  also 
for  about  half  its  length,  and  with  long, 
hair-like  tails.  This  is  the  "Disciplina"  of 
penance. 

My  mind  goes  back  to  one  Good  Friday 
night,  when  with  a  Mexican  friend  I  reached 
a  plaza  nearly  one  hundred  miles  from  the 
railroad  station.  I  had  driven  two  days  in 
order  to  be  present  and  investigate  for  my- 
self the  tales  told  by  Lummis  in  his  "Land 
of  Poco  Tiempo."  As  we  sat  at  supper  in 
the  home  of  our  host,  the  children  came  run- 
ning in,  saying: 

"The   Penitentes  are  coming." 

We  at  once  rushed  to  the  door  to  see  the 
procession,  and  if  possible  to  secure  an 
entrance  to  the  meeting  of  tinieblas  (dark- 
ness) in  that  little  chapel.  We  joined  the 
procession,  but  just  as  we  reached  the  door 


38  OUR    MEXICANS 

three  large  officers  stepped  in  front  and, 
beckoning  with  their  hands,  ordered  us  away. 
My  guide  pleaded  hard,  and  after  some  dis- 
cussion the  men  retired  and  talked  the  matter 
over  with  some  of  their  friends.  Then  they 
returned,  and  I  was  admitted  to  the  room, 
where  for  a  couple  of  hours  at  least,  with 
closed  doors,  sights  were  seen  and  noises 
heard  that  no  tongue  could  describe. 

The  building  is  of  adobe,  with  large  slid- 
ing-doors  in  one  end,  and  with  but  one  small, 
round  hole  in  one  side  for  light  and  ventila- 
tion. The  floor  is  native  earth,  except  at 
the  end  where  the  altar  is  located.  In  front 
of  the  altar  is  a  large,  curtained  table,  under 
which  the  choir  have  their  seats  on  the  floor. 
In  front  of  this  table,  on  a  small  stool,  sit 
tv/o  men,  each  holding  a  stone  in  his  hand. 
Directly  in  front  of  the  stool,  but  on  the 
earthen  floor,  at  some  distance  from  the 
front  of  the  altar  platform,  is  a  stand  on 
which  is  a  wooden  triangle,  having  one 
lighted  candle  on  the  apex,  three  on  the  base, 
and  five  on  either  side.  In  front  of  this  the 
Penitentes  stand  facing  the  lights.  These 
men  for  days  have  been  torturing  themselves 
in  the  ways  previously  described.  Now 
their  heads  and  backs  and  arms  are  band- 
aged. These  men  we  would  suppose  to  be 
the  most  religious  in  the  commimity;  instead. 


THE    PENITENTES  39 

they  are  regarded  as  the  most  deluded  and 
of  the  lower  class,  doing  penance  not  only 
for  the  sins  they  have  committed,  but  for 
those  which  they  intend  to  commit  during 
the  coming  year. 

All  things  being  ready,  at  the  blast  of  a 
trumpet  the  meeting  is  in  progress.  The 
choristers  under  the  table  sing  and  play  one 
verse.  The  men  in  front  of  the  table  strike 
three  times  on  the  seats  with  the  stones  they 
hold  in  their  hands,  then  one  of  the  Peni- 
tentes  steps  forward  and  extinguishes  one 
of  the  lights.  This  continues  until  all  the 
lights  but  one  have  disappeared.  There  is 
silence  for  a  moment.  Then  a  large,  flat 
surface,  probably  nine  by  twelve  feet,  ap- 
parently of  wood,  covered  with  zinc,  which 
in  its  turn  is  covered  with  leather,  is  placed 
on  the  floor.  The  doors  in  the  front  of  the 
buildings  are  closed  and  barred.  The  her- 
manas  range  themselves  about  the  room. 
The  music  is  again  started,  and  at  a  given 
signal  the  last  light  is  gone.  From  boxes 
and  barrels,  previously  ranged  round  the 
room,  ropes  and  chains  and  sticks  are  drawn, 
and  for  about  one  half-hour  the  clashing  of 
chains  and  the  ranting  of  other  instruments 
is  maddening. 

The  noise,  the  groans,  and  the  darkness 
I  can  never  forget.     If  at  any  time  I  want 


40  OUR    MEXICANS 

an  illustration  of  that  "outer  darkness"  I 
only  think  of  that  awful  night  in  the  Peni- 
tentes'  meeting-house. 

What  does  it  all  mean?  Not  "the  arrival 
of  the  soul  in  purgatory,"  as  someone  has 
said.  As  the  candles  are  again  lighted,  I 
see  one  of  the  Penitentes  go  forward  and 
take  from  the  wall  a  cross  on  which  is  an 
image  intended  to  represent  our  Saviour, 
who  has  died  during  the  darkness,  and  at 
once  the  whole  mystery  is  clear.  The  dark- 
ness, with  all  the  unearthly  sounds,  is  in- 
tended to  represent  the  transactions  at  Cal- 
vary on  that  Good  Friday  night  when  the 
"King  of  Glory"  bowed  His  head  and  gave 
up  the  ghost. 

After  this  service  the  image  on  the  cross 
is  borne  from  the  little  chapel  to  the  house 
of  a  friend  where  entertainment  has  been 
provided,  and  there  the  music  is  kept  up 
until  the  morning,  when  all  return  to  the 
morada,  from  which  they  go  to  their  homes 
in  peace. 

Under  the  flag  that  waves  for  liberty,  and 
with  the  Gospel  in  our  hands  that  proclaims 
freedom  for  the  slave  of  sin,  we  long  for 
the  day  when  from  those  lofty  mountains, 
deep  canons,  and  wide-stretching  plains 
the  weird  song  of  the  poor  Penitentes  shall 
no  longer  be  heard,  but  only  songs  of  praise 


THE    PENITENTES  41 

to  Him  who  has  cleansed  us  from  our  sins 
in  His  o-vvTi  precious  blood. 

[For  further  information  regarding  this  strange 
form  of  worship  the  reader  is  referred  to  "The  Land 
of  Poco  Tiempo,"  by  Charles  F.  Lummis,  and  to 
"The  Passionists  of  the  Southwest,"  by  the  Rev. 
A.  M.  Darley.] 


CHAPTER    V 

SISTER    CHURCHES    AT    WORK 

"  Our  aims  are  one.'^ 

The  Baptists 

The  first  Protestant  church  to  enter  New 
Mexico  was  the  Baptist,  whose  first  minis- 
ter came  in  1849.  It  was  in  1852,  however, 
that  the  Rev.  Samuel  Gorman  arrived  as 
first  missionary  to  the  Pueblo  Indians,  and 
in  1854  the  Baptists  erected  in  Santa  Fe  the 
first  Protestant  church  building  in  New 
Mexico. 

The  work  of  these  first  missionaries  seems 
to  have  been  confined  almost  entirely  to  the 
American  people.  When  the  Civil  War  broke 
out  their  mission  board  withdrew  its  sup- 
port and  the  work  was  abandoned.  Only 
within  the  last  few  years  has  anything  been 
done  by  the  Baptists  among  the  Spanish- 
speaking  people  of  New  Mexico. 

In  1903  the  reports  showed  five  organized 
churches  with  a  total  membership  of  ninety- 
two,     A  good  school   for   Mexican   children 


SISTER    CHURCHES  43 

has  been  in  successful  operation  at  Velarde 
with  an  attendance  of  ninety,  and  another 
has  lately  been  opened  at  Alculoe  with  an 
attendance  of  about  sixty. 

The  Congregationalists 

The  early  work  of  the  Congregational 
Church  in  New  Mexico  was  of  a  mixed  char- 
acter, consisting  chiefly  of  academies  at 
Santa  Fe,  Las  Vegas,  and  Albuquerque. 
These  were  intended  largely  for  Mexican 
children,  but  the  Americans  rather  crowded 
them  out.  These  schools  did  an  important 
work  for  some  years,  but  later  were  aban- 
doned. The  beginning  of  their  school  work 
distinctively  for  Mexican  children  dates  back 
to  about  1888.  In  1903  there  were  six 
schools  with  twelve  teachers  and  an  enrol- 
ment of  three  hundred  and  ninety.  The 
schools  are  located  at  Barelas,  Ranchos  de 
Atrisco,  Cubero,  San  Mateo,  San  Rafael,  and 
Seboyeta. 

Little  has  been  done  by  the  Congregation- 
alists in  the  way  of  distinct  evangelistic  work 
among  the  Mexicans.  There  are  two  native 
evangelists  and  two  native  churches  with  a 
membership  of  thirty-seven.  The  only  or- 
dained Congregational  minister  engaged  in 
Mexican  work  in  New  Mexico  occupies  the 


44  OUR    MEXICANS 

position  of  general  missionary  and  superin- 
tendent of  schools. 

The  Rev.  J.  H.  Heald  emphasizes  the 
fact  that  their  work  has  not  developed  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  a  central  school,  but 
hopes  soon  to  remedy  this  lack  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  industrial  school. 

The  Methodists 

In  1850  the  Rev.  E.  G.  Nicholson,  the 
first  ^lethodist  missionary  to  New  Mexico, 
was  sent  out  by  the  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  reached 
Santa  Fe  in  October,  1850.  His  work  was 
among  the  English-speaking  people,  mostly 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States 
army  and  a  few  of  the  families  of  officials 
in  the  civil  service.  When  the  army  was  re- 
called from  Santa  Fe  the  congregation  be- 
came very  small,  and  Mr.  Nicholson  returned 
to  Missouri  and  reported  unfavorably.  The 
mission  was  suspended  for  about  a  year. 

When  at  Santa  Fe  Mr.  Nicholson  had 
made  the  acquaintance  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
priest  who  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
Homish  Church.  After  visiting  Rome  he 
returned  to  London,  where  he  met  a  highly 
educated  Wesleyan  minister,  by  whom  he 
was  convinced  that  the  Church  of  Rome  was 


SISTER    CHURCHES  45 

no  longer  the  Church  for  him,  and  at  once 
sought  a  place  in  the  Methodist  Church. 
With  the  approval  of  the  bishops,  early  in 
the  autumn  of  1853  Mr.  Nicholson,  as  super- 
intendent, with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hanson  and 
the  priest,  Reniguo  Cardinas,  were  sent  as 
missionaries  to  New  Mexico.  On  their  ar- 
rival in  Santa  Fe  they  held  service  in  Span- 
ish, and  soon  a  number  were  baptized. 
Cardinas  became  a  zealous  itinerant  in  the 
Spanish  work,  chiefly  in  the  valley  of  the 
Rio  Grande. 

Mr.  Hanson  opened  a  school  in  Zecalote. 
At  first  the  school  was  very  hopeful  with 
thirty-five  pupils,  but  soon  it  was  reported 
to  the  Church  authorities.  A  few  priests 
were  sent  to  Zecalote,  and  soon  the  children 
were  removed  and  the  school  was  closed. 

Mr.  Nicholson  visited  Albuquerque,  Peral- 
ta,  Belen,  Corales,  and  locisro.  While  at 
Peralta  he  left  a  copy  of  the  Bible  with 
Don  Ambrosio  Gonzales,  which  led  to  his 
conversion. 

The  missionaries  soon  became  discouraged 
and  returned  to  New  York  and  gave  reports 
not  at  all  encouraging.  Cardinas,  however, 
remained  on  the  field  and  pleaded  constantly 
for  a  superintendent.  In  1855  the  Rev.  D. 
D.  Love  was  sent  out  to  examine  and  report 
the   existing   conditions.      He    found   a    few 


46  OUR    MEXICANS 

converts,  organized  a  eliurch  at  locisro,  and 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper  to  seven 
members.  In  November  18th  of  the  same 
year  Dr.  Love  visited  Peralta,  held  services, 
organized  a  class  of  fourteen  persons,  and 
appointed  as  leader  Ambrosio  Gonzales. 
After  some  time  Dr.  Love  returned  to  New 
York  and  the  work  was  discontinued. 

Not  much  was  done  in  this  mission  for 
the  next  ten  years.  In  1866  Father  Dyer 
took  a  horseback  ride  down  into  New  Mex- 
ico. His  soul  was  stirred  when  he  saw  the 
condition  of  the  people.  He  wrote  a  few 
stirring  articles  to  the  church  papers.  In- 
terest was  roused,  and  at  the  General  Con- 
ference in  Chicago  in  1868  New  Mexico 
was  taken  up,  made  a  district  in  the  Colorado 
Conference,  and  Father  Dyer  appointed  pre- 
siding elder  of  the  same. 

On  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  Church 
authorities  the  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Harwood, 
the  present  Methodist  superintendent  of 
Spanish  work  in  New  Mexico,  and  Mrs. 
Harwood,  reached  the  territory  in  1869. 
They  at  once  opened  a  school  at  Cherry 
Valley,  and  afterward  at  Tuptonville.  He 
visited  Peralta  in  1871  and  reorganized  the 
work  begun  by  Gonzales.  The  little  band 
of  fourteen  had  increased  to  forty-two. 

Dr.  Harwood  found  no  Protestant  churches 


SISTER    CHURCHES  47 

or  classes  anywhere  except  at  Santa  Fe, 
where  the  Presbyterians  had  opened  a  work 
and  where  the  Methodists  had  a  small  or- 
ganization, as  also  at  Elizabethtown. 

In  addition  to  their  English  branch,  which 
has  sixteen  organized  churches,  the  Spanish 
branch  of  the  Methodist  work  reported  in 
1903  thirty-iive  church  buildings,  eleven  hun- 
dred and  twenty  Sunday-school  children,  and 
a  church  membership  of  twenty-six  hundred 
and  eighty-two. 

Dr.  Harwood  says:  "Thirty  years  ago  I 
rode  on  horseback  in  the  mountains  between 
Ocate  and  Black  Lakes  about  thirty  miles; 
I  found  only  one  house,  where  I  spent  the 
night  and  preached  to  all  its  inmates.  Last 
week  I  travelled  over  the  same  road.  I 
passed  many  houses,  and  preached  at  night 
to  about  sixty  people,  one-half  of  whom  are 
members  of  the  Church.  What  hath  God 
wrought!     To  Him  be  the  praise." 


CHAPTER    VI 

FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN   MISSIONS   IN   NEW  MEXICO 

"  I  will  make  darkness  light  before  them." —  Isa. 
xlii:  16. 

The  work  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
among  the  Mexican  or  Spanish-speaking 
people  is  so  closely  associated  in  its  com- 
mencement with  our  missions  to  the  Amer- 
icans and  Indians  that  it  is  difficult  to  disso- 
ciate them. 

It  was  in  1850  that  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Kephart 
was  sent  as  the  first  Presbyterian  missionary 
to  New  Mexico.  There  are  no  records  of 
his  work  to  be  found.  He  subsequently  be- 
came editor  of  the  Santa  Fe  Gazette  in  anti- 
slavery  interests. 

Under  appointment  of  the  Board  of  Do- 
mestic Missions,  the  Rev.  D.  F.  McFarland, 
supported  by  the  Ladies'  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  Missionary  Society  of  New  York 
City,  reached  Santa  Fe  on  Thursday,  No- 
vember 22d,  1866.  On  the  following  Sunday, 
in  the  senate  chamber,  which,  through  the 
kindness  of  Governor  Mitchell,  was  granted 
48 


PRESBYTERIAN    MISSIONS      49 

for  the  service,  he  preached  to  an  attentive 
and  respectably  large  audience.  In  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day  a  Sunday-school 
was  organized  with  three  teachers  and  seven 
pupils,  which,  so  far  as  records  show,  was 
the  first  Protestant  Sunday-school  organized 
in  New  IMexico.  On  the  following  Sunday 
services  were  continued,  with  increased  at- 
tendance, and  at  once  the  Sunday -School 
Visitor  and  the  Shorter  Catechism  were  in- 
troduced into  the  Sunday-school. 

Although,  as  elsewhere  stated.  Baptist  and 
Methodist  missionaries  had  been  at  work  in 
New  Mexico  for  a  number  of  years,  yet 
when  Mr.  McFarland  arrived  he  found  that 
in  1855  or  1856  the  Methodists  had  prac- 
tically given  up  the  work,  and  although  the 
Baptists  had  expended  over  twenty  thousand 
dollars  in  Santa  Fe  they  had  not  secured  a 
foothold.  The  rebellion  had  broken  out,  the 
board  had  withdrawn  its  support,  and  their 
church  building  was  fast  becoming  a  ruin, 
the  roof  having  fallen  in  before  their  last 
missionary  had  left  the  city. 

On  January  ISth,  1867,  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  was  organized  in  Santa  Fe 
with  twelve  members.  On  the  day  appointed 
for  the  organization  the  doorkeeper  of  the 
senate  chamber  was  absent  with  the  ikey, 
and  could  nowhere  be  foiuid.     Being,  with 


50  OUR    MEXICANS 

many  others,  opposed  to  the  organization, 
although  he  alleged  that  he  forgot  that  there 
was  a  meeting,  it  was  generally  believed 
that  he  remembered  to  forget.  In  the  emer- 
gency, Mrs.  Mitchell,  wife  of  the  governor, 
who  had  been  importunate  in  her  solicita- 
tions and  indefatigable  in  her  efforts  for  the 
settlement  of  a  minister  and  the  organization 
of  a  church,  kindly  and  willingly  offered  the 
use  of  one  of  her  spacious  parlors,  and  there 
the  little  band  met  and  were  organized  into 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Santa  Fe. 
Governor  Mitchell,  Chief- Justice  J.  P. 
Hough,  Colonel  James  L.  Collins,  M.  L. 
Byers,  and  S.  B.  Elkens  were  elected  trus- 
tees. Mr.  W.  W.  Carothers  was  elected 
ruling  elder.  Two  months  later,  when  on  a 
trip  East,  hoping  to  interest  many  in  this 
new  church  work,  he  was  taken  ill  and  died 
on  the  plains  of  Kansas. 

In  the  foreign  mission  records  of  January, 
1868,  it  is  stated  that  the  attention  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  had  just  then 
been  called  to  the  condition  of  the  Navajo 
Indians  through  letters  written  by  General 
Alexander  and  the  Rev.  D.  F.  McFarland, 
and  that  the  Rev.  James  M.  Roberts  and 
wife  had  been  appointed  to  this  service. 

The  removal  of  the  Navajos  to  their  pres- 
ent   reservation    in    the    northwest    of    New 


PRESBYTERIAN    MISSIONS       51 

Mexico  and  the  northeast  of  Arizona  led  to 
delay,  and  it  was  not  until  November,  1868, 
that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  reached  Santa 
Fe  under  appointment  as  missionaries  to  the 
Navajos. 

On  June  2d,  1868,  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America  had  authorized  the  Rev. 
John  N.  Schultz,  chaplain  Thirty-eighth 
Regiment  United  States  Infantry,  then  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Craig,  New  Mexico,  the  Rev. 
D.  F.  McFarland,  and  the  Rev.  James  M. 
Roberts,  and  such  churches  as  were  to  be 
found  in  New  Mexico,  to  form  a  new  pres- 
bytery, to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Santa 
Fe.  Accordingly,  on  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Roberts,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Santa  Fe  on 
December  14th,  1868.  The  Rev.  D.  F.  Mc- 
Farland preached  the  opening  sermon  from 
Joshua  xviii:3:  "How  long  are  ye  slack 
to  go  to  possess  the  land  which  the  Lord 
God  of  your  fathers  hath  given  you."  The 
Rev.  John  N.  Schultz  was  chosen  moderator, 
the  Rev.  James  M.  Roberts  temporary  clerk, 
and  the  Rev.  D.  F.  McFarland  stated  clerk. 
These,  with  William  Kennedy,  elder  of  Santa 
Fe  church,  constituted  the  Presbytery  of 
Santa  Fe,  which  was  attached  to  the  Synod 
of  Kansas.  Before  adjournment  each  min- 
ister   of    that   presbytery    was    appointed    a 


52  OUR    MEXICANS 

missionary     committee     to     visit     important 
places  in  the  vicinity  of  his  field  of  labor. 

At  the  time  of  this  organization,  supersti- 
tion, licentiousness,  intemperance,  profanity, 
Sabbath  desecration,  and  intense  worldliness 
prevailed  to  a  fearful  extent.  The  language, 
customs,  amusements,  legislation,  morality, 
and  religion  were  Spanish  and  Roman  Cath- 
olic, and  the  wild  Indians  roamed  over  the 
hunting-grounds,  making  occasional  raids 
upon  settlements  for  cunning  theft  and  sav- 
age murder.  The  papal  religion  was  domi- 
nant in  New  Mexico,  and  its  popular  bishop 
resided  in  Santa  Fe.  There  also  were  located 
its  colleges  and  seminaries.  The  only  Prot- 
estants besides  this  little  band  of  Presby- 
terians and  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  in 
New  Mexico  were  Chaplain  Woart,  Episco- 
palian, at  Fort  Union;  an  Episcopal  church 
at  Santa  Fe  which  had  been  organized  by 
him  and  to  which  he  ministered  once  a  month ; 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Cox  and  Professor  McCumbers, 
who  had  commenced  preaching  and  teaching 
in  Messilla;  and  some  Mexican  Protestants 
scattered  along  the  Rio  Grande,  the  remnants 
of  the  former  Methodist  and  Baptist  mis- 
sions. When  all  this  is  remembered,  well 
may  it  now  be  said,  "God  has  made  this 
handful  of  corn,  which  was  scattered  among 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  wave  like  Lebanon." 


PRESBYTERIAN    MISSIONS       53 

After  this  meeting  of  presbytery  Mr. 
Roberts  went  to  the  Navajos  and  labored 
there  until  1872,  when  he  returned  to  Taos, 
purposing  to  engage  in  mission  work  there 
among  the  Pueblos,  but  instead,  as  hereafter 
seen,  began  to  study  the  Spanish  language, 
with  the  view  of  undertaking  mission  work 
among  the  Mexicans. 

In  November,  1870,  the  Rev.  John  Menaul 
arrived  in  New  Mexico  under  appointment 
as  missionary  to  one  of  the  Indian  tribes  in 
New  Mexico  or  Arizona.  The  intention  was 
that  he  should  go  to  Zuni,  but  at  the  request 
of  the  Navajo  agent  he  was,  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  Board,  induced  to  remain  among 
the  Navajos. 


CHAPTER    VII 

PROGRESS    OF     PRESBYTERIANISM    IN     NEW 
MEXICO 

*'  The  entrance  of  Thy  wordc  gtveth  light*' — Ps. 
cxix:  30. 

The  commencement  and  progress  of  our 
missions  among  our  Mexican  people  is  full 
of  interest  to  those  now  engaged  in  the  work, 
as  well  as  to  the  many  Christian  men  and 
women  who  for  years  have  prayed  and  given 
for  its  success.  Just  as  the  conquerors  painted 
in  colors  all  too  glowing  the  pictures  of  their 
conquests,  so  the  early  missionaries  who  ac- 
companied them  no  doubt  greatly  exagger- 
ated the  story  of  their  church  achievements. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  old  chapels  here  and 
there,  although  now  crumbling  into  decay, 
yet  bear  witness  to  early  success. 

We  must  not  forget  that  some  of  the 
Spanish  Bibles  which  had  been  brought  to 
New  Mexico  by  the  early  missionaries  re- 
mained on  the  field  and  did  their  enlighten- 
ing and  converting  work  even  after  the  ex- 
peditions had  been  expelled  and  the  mission- 
54 


PRESBYTERIAN    PROGRESS      55 

aries  massacred.  The  ten  years  from  1868 
to  1878,  in  themselves  seemingly  of  little 
importance,  have  proved  of  great  and  lasting 
benefit  to  many  in  the  Southwest. 

The  first  mention  of  mission  work  among 
the  Mexican  people  is  in  a  resolution  passed 
by  the  presbytery,  "To  apply  to  the  Board 
of  Education  for  aid  for  one  year,  com- 
mencing November  1,  1868,  to  the  amount 
of  $500,  in  order  that  the  rates  of  tuition 
may  be  reduced  so  that  the  children  of  i\Iex- 
ican  parents  may  receive  the  benefit  of  the 
school  which  many  of  them  are  now  deprived 
of  on  account  of  present  rates." 

About  the  time  that  this  resolution  was 
passed  a  Spanish  Bible  was  found  on  the 
road  some  distance  from  Las  Vegas.  The 
finder,  knowing  nothing  of  the  value  of  the 
book,  shortly  afterward  met  Seiior  Albino 
Madrid  and  exchanged  with  him  this  Bible 
for  a  Spanish  spelling-book.  Mr.  Madrid, 
being  fond  of  reading,  at  once  began  to 
study  this  new  book,  and  gained  from  it 
some  knowledge  of  the  Way  of  Life.  Anx- 
ious that  others  should  know  the  Saviour  he 
had  found,  he  began  in  his  simple  way  to 
tell  to  his  fellow-men: 

"Whosoever  believeth  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  shall  be  saved." 

About  the   same  time  a   young   Christian, 


56  OUR    MEXICANS 

now  the  Rev.  Gabino  Rendon,  of  Santa  Fe, 
who  had  only  lately  been  converted,  was  sent 
by  his  father  on  an  errand  down  the  Gallinas 
River.  In  his  journey  he  had  to  pass  the 
village  where  the  Madrids  lived.  Young 
Rendon  took  with  him  a  bundle  of  tracts  for 
distribution,  but,  failing  in  courage,  he 
dropped  them  along  the  road  as  he  passed 
the  houses.  Picked  up  by  the  people,  some 
of  them  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Madrids. 

Soon  after  this  Albino  Madrid  came  to 
Las  Vegas,  and  there  met  some  men  who 
knew  the  Gospel  story,  and,  as  they  knew 
the  same  language,  "they  spake  often  one 
to  another."  Tracts  were  compared  with  the 
Bible,  and  often,  when  they  were  found  to 
correspond,  Mr.   Madrid  would  say: 

"I  told  you  so.  I  told  you  the  Bible  tells 
the  truth." 

These  men  invited  Mr.  Madrid  to  attend 
service,  which  he  did,  and  there  his  belief 
in  the  Gospel  was  confirmed.  Shortly  after 
he  met  his  brother  and  nephew,  now  the 
Rev.  Manuel  Madrid,  of  Mora,  and  told  them 
the  "old,  old  story"  for  the  first  time.  After 
an  introduction  to  the  brethren,  an  interest- 
ing conversation,  the  reception  of  tracts  and 
a  copy  of  the  Shorter  Catechism,  the  ]\Ia- 
drids  returned  home,  and  there  these  new 
things  were  fully  discussed.     Such  was  the 


PRESBYTERIAN    PROGRESS      57 

commencement  of  our  work  along  the  Gal- 
linas  River. 

About  the  same  time,  away  across  the 
mountains  in  the  northern  part  of  New  Mex- 
ico and  in  southern  Colorado,  two  hundred 
miles  from  the  home  of  the  Madrids,  another 
light  was  beginning  to  shine  among  the 
Mexican  people.  There  lived  Juan  de  Jesus 
Gomez,  grandfather  of  the  Rev.  M.  D.  J. 
Sanchez,  the  present  Prebyterian  missionary 
in  the  San  Luis  Valley.  Mr.  Gomez  loved 
to  read,  and,  being  an  intelligent  man,  was 
a  great  favorite  with  the  priest,  who  on  dif- 
ferent occasions  allowed  him  to  look  within 
the  covers  of  the  Bible.  This  only  increased 
his  desire  for  the  Bread  of  Life,  and  he 
longed  to  have  a  Bible  of  his  own.  This 
desire  was  soon  granted.  He  found  a 
Frenchman,  an  infidel,  who  had  a  Bible, 
vrhich  Mr.  Gomez  at  once  offered  to  buy. 
The  Frenchman  agreed  to  sell  it  for  a  fat 
ox,  the  use  of  a  team  of  oxen  to  Santa  Fe 
and  return — a  distance  of  about  three  hun- 
dred miles — and  $10  in  cash.  The  total 
price  asked  is  estimated  at  over  $75.  The 
price  was  paid.  Mr.  Gomez  gathered  his 
sons  around  him  in  the  evenings  and  read  to 
them  "wonderful  words  of  Life."  Soon 
after  he  began  to  study  the  Bible  he  saw 
that  he  was  not  in  the  right  road^  and  for 


58  OUR    MEXICANS 

several  years  he  discussed  religious  subjects 
with  the  priest,  and  showed  that  he  was  not 
in  accord  with  the  Church  of  Rome. 

Leaving  this  Bible  to  do  its  leavening 
work,  we  return  to  New  Mexico.  Taos  has 
its  place  in  the  civil  history  of  the  territory. 
It  is  also  closely  connected  with  this  early 
Protestant  movement,  both  in  New  Mexico 
and  Colorado.  It  was  here  that  Padre  Mar- 
tinez, born  in  New  Mexico  and  educated  in 
the  city  of  Mexico,  first  saw  the  errors  of 
the  Romish  communion.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  personality,  whose  name  is  to-day 
honored  by  many.  He  renounced  many  of 
their  errors,  although  he  never  openly  identi- 
fied himself  with  the  Protestants.  He  built  his 
own  chapel,  and  gathered  together  a  large 
following,  many  of  whom  belonged  to  the 
more  influential  and  intelligent  classes. 
Martinez  preached  the  Gospel  himself  and 
opened  his  church  to  a  Protestant  Episcopal 
clergyman,  and  stood  committed  to  identify 
himself  with  that  communion.  This  act  was 
not  consummated  because  the  Episcopalian 
minister  failed  to  fulfil  the  necessary  condi- 
tions. Martinez  believed  in  education  and 
maintained  a  school  for  boys,  he  himself 
teaching  the  advanced  classes.  Among  those 
he  taught  was  his  own  son,  Vicente,  who  had 
learned  from  his  father  to  believe  the  Bible 


PRESBYTERIAN    PROGRESS      59 

to  be  the  Word  of  God.  Martinez  told  his 
son  that  he  did  not  preach  against  saint  wor- 
ship because  he  was  afraid  that  the  people 
would  assassinate  him  if  he  should  do  so. 
Martinez  died  in  1867,  and  after  his  death 
his  followers  scattered.  Some  continued  to 
live  separate  from  the  Roman  Catholic  com- 
munion, some  returned  to  Romanism,  and  a 
few  afterward  became  the  first  Protestants 
of  Taos.  Among  these  were  Vicente  F. 
Romero,  Jose  Domingo  Mondragon,  and 
Felix  Cordova,  who  later  became  faithful 
evangelists  under  our  Home  Board. 

An  incident  in  the  life  of  Vicente  F.  Ro- 
mero at  this  time  illustrates  God's  care  over 
His  own  Word  and  confirms  the  Psalmist's 
words,  of  which  one  is  so  frequently  re- 
minded in  the  plazas  of  New  Mexico:  "As 
the  mountains  are  roiuid  about  Jerusalem,  so 
the  Lord  is  round  about  His  people  from 
henceforth,  even  forever."  One  day  Vicente 
Romero  was  at  work  on  his  ranch  when  a 
band  of  Navajo  Indians  assaulted  him  and 
took  away  all  his  property.  They  attempted 
also  to  take  his  Bible.  For  this  he  pleaded 
and  told  them  that  it  was  the  Word  of  God.^ 
As  he  was  expecting  every  moment  to  be  put 
to  death,  he  prayed  that  a  missionary  might 
be  sent  to  his  people.  The  Indians  left  the 
Bible  with  him,  and  soon  God  sent  the  mis- 
sionary. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


EARLY    MISSIONARIES 


"  We  preach  Christ  crucified:'— 1  Cor.  i:  23. 

While  the  seed  scattered  here  and  there 
was  taking  root  and  springing  up  the  Rev. 
John  A.  Annin  reached  Las  Vegas  on  Oc- 
tober 24th,  1869,  to  commence  a  work  there 
which  has  entitled  him  to  the  name,  "Father 
of  our  Mexican  work." 

When  Mr.  Annin  reached  Las  Vegas  he 
went  to  the  Exchange  Hotel  and  at  once 
inquired  for  professing  Christians.  He  was 
told  at  once  that  they  knew  of  only  one  in 
Las  Vegas,  either  among  Americans  or  Mex- 
icans, viz.,  Mr.  Jose  Yfies  Perea,  who,  hav- 
ing heard  of  this  inquiry,  went  at  once  to  see 
Mr.  Annin.  As  they  clasped  hands,  Mr. 
Perea  said:  "I  have  been  praying  for  a  mis- 
sionary, and  I  have  made  vows  and  promises 
to  the  Lord  in  connection  with  this  work. 
You  can  depend  on  me  for  any  and  every- 
thing that  I  can  do  to  assist  this  mission 
work."  From  that  day  Mr.  Annin  and  Mr. 
Perea  became  fast  friends.     The  first  thing 


Rev.  John  A.  Aiinin 


EARLY    MISSIONARIES  61 

Mr.  Annin  did  was  to  open  a  school,  which 
became  a  centre  of  light  for  not  a  few  who 
have  since  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  needs  of  their  fellow- 
countrymen,  and  whose  names  will  appear 
again  and  again  in  connection  with  this  story. 

Mr.  Annin  prosecuted  his  work  in  the 
midst  of  great  difficulties.  His  want  of  the 
Spanish  language  and  his  sufferings  in  trav- 
el, arising  from  long  journeys  and  want  of 
accommodation,  all  added  to  the  difficulties 
with  which  he  had  to  contend.  Nothing, 
however,  seemed  to  discourage  him  with  the 
prospect  of  being  instrumental  in  winning 
souls  for  the  Master.  He  continued  his  work 
without  interruption  until  he  saw  churches 
organized  composed  of  men  and  women  who 
had  renounced  the  errors  of  Romanism  and 
confessed  Jesus  Christ  as  their  Saviour  and 
only  Head  of  the  Church. 

On  April  15th,  1870,  the  second  meeting  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Santa  Fe  was  held,  and 
the  Rev.  J.  A.  Annin,  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Southern  Minnesota,  was  received  as  a  mem- 
ber, thus  forming  a  quorum  and  enabling 
the  presbytery  to  proceed  to  business.  Mr. 
Annin  reported  that  in  March,  1870,  he  had 
organized  a  church  in  Las  Vegas  with  twelve 
members,  principally  Mexicans.  Mr.  Jose 
Ynes   Perea  was   ordained   and  installed  as 


62  OUR    MEXICANS 

elder  of  this  new  congregation.  This  report 
was  approved  and  strong  resolutions  passed 
asking  for  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  church 
and  school  at  that  place.  At  the  same  meet- 
ing of  presbytery  very  strong  appeals  were 
made  for  missionaries  and  mission  schools  in 
important  centres  in  the  Territory. 

The  third  meeting  of  the  presbytery  was 
held  in  Las  Vegas  on  March  8th,  1871,  when 
the  Rev.  John  Menaul,  of  Corsica,  Africa, 
was  received  as  a  member  and  his  name  en- 
rolled. He  and  the  Rev.  James  M.  Roberts 
are  reported  as  laboring  among  the  Navajos 
under  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  at  Fort 
Defiance  with  encouraging  results.  Up  to 
this  date  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Annin  is  the  only 
ordained  missionary  among  the  Mexicans, 
and  he  reports  a  great  want  of  interest 
among  the  members  of  his  church,  but  the 
school  well  sustained  and  encouraging  pros- 
pects for  future  success. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  things  when,  in 
October,  1872,  there  arrived  in  Taos  the 
Rev.  James  M.  Roberts,  on  his  way  to  com- 
mence work  among  the  Indians  at  the  Taos 
pueblo.  The  people  were  much  surprised  to 
see  this  man,  with  his  long,  black  beard,  and 
afraid  when  they  knew  that  he  was  a  Protes- 
tant. Mr.  Roberts  intended  going  to  the 
pueblo    as    a    government    teacher,    but,    on 


EARLY    MISSIONARIES  63 

account  of  the  opposition  of  the  priests,  who 
told  the  Indians  that  if  they  gave  their  con- 
sent he  would  close  their  chapel  and  make 
Protestants  of  them  all,  the  Indians  refused 
the  request. 

As  the  winter  was  severe  Mr.  Roberts  re- 
mained in  Taos.  Realizing  the  fact  that  a 
school  was  the  best,  if  not  the  only,  means 
of  gaining  an  entrance  to  the  people  around 
him,  he  opened  a  school  for  the  Mexican 
people.  Mr.  Vicente  Romero,  to  whom  ref- 
erence has  already  been  made,  with  others 
attended  this  school.  They  were  all  sur- 
prised at  Mr.  Roberts'  great  wisdom;  all, 
however,  hated  his  religion  except  Mr.  Ro- 
mero, who  told  his  companions  that  if  he 
had  wisdom  he  believed  that  his  religion  was 
also  good  because  he  believed  the  Bible. 
Here  again  we  meet  the  Bible.  The  seed 
sown  years  before  by  the  good  old  priest, 
Romero's  father,  was  bearing  fruit  in  the 
heart  of  his  son. 

The  third  meeting  of  the  presbytery  was 
held  in  Santa  Fe  on  January  l6th,  1873,  in 
the  telegraph  ofSce.  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Rob- 
erts and  the  Rev.  D.  F.  McFarland  were 
present  in  person,  and  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Annin 
was  present  "by  telegraph."  The  meeting 
was  of  great  importance,  and  dealt  only  with 
matters     that    needed    immediate     attention. 


64  OUR    MEXICANS 

The  meeting  was  afterward  declared  illegal, 
but  it  shows  the  great  straits  to  which  these 
devoted  pioneers  were  pressed. 

In  April,  1873,  Mr.  Roberts  began  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  in  Taos.  A  Sunday-school 
was  organized  and  services  were  conducted 
for  the  whole  year.  On  November  15th,  1874, 
the  Spanish  Presbyterian  Church  of  Taos 
was  organized  with  ten  members,  including 
Mrs.  Roberts.  The  first  elders  were  Mr. 
Jose  Domingo  Mondragon,  for  many  years 
an  evangelist  in  southern  Colorado  and 
northern  New  Mexico,  and  who,  faithful  to 
the  end,  passed  to  his  reward  June  3d,  1903, 
and  Mr.  Vincente  F.  Romero,  an  evangelist 
on  the  Taos  field,  from  whose  lips  multitudes 
have  heard  the  message  of  salvation. 

During  this  opening  work  in  Taos  there 
came  to  the  valley  from  Colorado  Mr.  Pablo 
Ortega,  who  heard  Mr.  Roberts  preach.  On 
his  return  home  he  carried  back  with  him 
some  tidings  of  this  new  story,  and  when  ^Ir. 
Roberts  and  Mr.  Romero,  in  1876,  visited  the 
San  Luis  Valley,  they  found  a  goodly  num- 
ber gathered  together  ready  to  hear  the  Gos- 
pel of  our  blessed  Lord.  Mr.  Gomez  lived 
at  Alamosa,  some  twenty-five  miles  distant, 
and  was  not  visited  at  this  time  by  the  mis- 
sionary. In  1878  these  missionaries  again 
visited  this  valley,  where  they  found  another 


EARLY    MISSIONARIES  65 

little  band  ready  to  welcome  the  preaching  of 
the  word.  To  this  valley  the  Rev.  Alexander 
Darley  had  come  about  the  same  time^  and 
in  May,  1879:,  hi  the  house  of  Mr.  Gomez, 
at  Alamosa,  was  organized  "La  Segunda 
Eclesia  Presbyteriana  La  Jara,"  with  some 
eight  or  nine  members.  This  church  is  now 
called  La  Luz. 

In  1874<  the  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  Suj^er- 
intendent  of  Missions  for  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Territories,  visited  New  Mexico  by  stage 
from  Denver,  and  made  a  missionary  tour 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  Territory 
from  north  to  south,  going  as  far  west  as 
Silver  City.  On  November  17th  of  the  same 
year  the  fourth  meeting  of  the  presbytery 
was  held.  This  meeting  is  important,  for  it 
was  the  first  meeting  of  presbytery  in  which 
a  Mexican  was  present  to  represent  a  church, 
Mr.  Jose  Yiles  Perea  being  there  from  the 
church  at  Las  Vegas.  Mr.  Roberts  reported 
the  organization  of  the  church  in  Taos  on 
November  15th,  with  ten  members,  and  Mr. 
Vicente  Romero  was  introduced  to  presby- 
tery as  a  representative  of  that  church.  At 
this  meeting  a  motion  was  adopted  asking 
the  Board  of  Publication  to  have  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  translated  into  the  Spanish 
language  for  the  use  of  the  Spanish-speak- 
ing people. 


G6  OUR    MEXICANS 

In  December^  1875,  the  Rev.  George  Smith 
was  received  as  a  member  of  presbytery 
and  appointed  to  labor  at  Santa  Fe  as  pas- 
tor of  the  American  church.  Mr.  Smith  was 
closely  identified  with  the  work  among  the 
Mexican  people  for  a  number  of  years  and 
did  a  great  deal  to  advance  its  interests. 

On  November  1st,  1876,  a  Spanish  church 
was  reported  as  organized  at  Ocate,  with 
twenty-five  members,  and  at  the  same  meet- 
ing of  presbytery  Mr.  Perea  was  asked  to 
enter  on  evangelistic  work. 

At  presbytery  meeting,  1877,  Messrs. 
Mondragon,  Romero,  GallegoG,  and  Perea 
were  licensed  as  evangelists,  and  in  August, 
1878,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Shields  was  ordained 
and  appointed  missionary  at  Jemez.  In 
August,  1879j  presbytery  met  at  Las  Vegas 
and  was  opened  by  a  sermon  in  Spanish  by 
evangelist  Mondragon.  Dr.  Shields  reported 
organization  of  church  at  Jemez  on  Septem- 
ber 8th,  1878,  and  Romaldo  Montoya  was  in- 
troduced as  elder. 

When  presbytery  met  at  Jemez  in  1880 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Annin  received  his  letter  of 
dismission  from  the  presbytery,  and  the  Rev. 
J.  C.  Eastman  was  received  as  his  successor. 
At  this  meeting  Mr.  Felix  ]Maes  was  elected 
lay  delegate  to  the  Assembly,  and  Mr.  Jose 
Yiies    Perea    was    ordained    to    the    Gospel 


Rev.  James  A.  Menaul 


EARLY    MISSIONARIES  67 

ministry.  Arrangements  were  made  for 
transfer  of  Arizona  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Santa  Fe. 

In  1881  presbytery  met  in  Las  Vegas, 
when  the  Rev.  James  A.  Menaul,  afterward 
for  six  years  synodical  missionary  for  the 
Synod  of  New  Mexico^  was  received  as  a 
member  of  the  presbytery. 

A  church  was  organized  at  Agua  Negra, 
and  Messrs.  John  Whitlock  and  Jose  Cruz 
were  ordained  elders. 

In  1881  the  Rev.  Jose  Ynes  Perea  was  sent 
as  delegate  to  the  General  Assembly.  Dur- 
ing the  same  year  the  Rev.  M.  Phillips  had 
been  appointed  missionary  to  Mora^  and  in 
1882  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Cincinnati.  The  Rev.  M.  Matthieson  was 
also  received  and  appointed  to  work  at  Socor- 
ro, with  instructions  to  visit  Mesilla  and 
other  places  and  select  for  himself  a  loca- 
tion for  work.  Soon  a  church  was  organized 
at  Socorro.  During  the  next  few  years 
Spanish  churches  were  organized  at  Paja- 
rito.  Las  Vegas,  Las  Cruces,  Capulin,  Em- 
budo,  Albuquerque,  Buena  Vista,  Mora, 
Placitas,  Jarules,  Nacimiento,  La  Luz,  Las 
Valles,  Trementina,  Lumberton,  Las  Tusas, 
Santa  Fe  (Spanish),  El  Quemado,  Rincones, 
Raton,  Chimayo,  and  Las  Truches. 

Not  very  much  has  been  done  among  the 


68  OUR    MEXICANS 

Mexican  population  in  Arizona.  Work  was 
begun  in  Tucson  and  Florence,  but  was  soon 
given  up.  In  I9OI  an  evangelist  was  sent 
to  ^letcalf,  where  a  good  church  has  been 
organized  with  a  membership  of  thirty-five. 

The  limits  of  this  sketch  forbid  even  the 
mention  of  all  our  missionaries  who  at  dif- 
ferent times  have  taken  part  in  carrying  on 
this  work  among  the  ^Mexican  people.  Of 
those  named,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  S.  W.  Curtis, 
J.  J.  Gilchrist,  J.  McGaughey,  and  E.  M. 
Fenton  deserve  special  remembrance  among 
the  early  workers,  all  of  whom  have  rendered 
service  as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
have  seen  the  work  prosper  in  their  hands. 

To  the  true  missionary  in  this  needy  field 
the  promise  has  again  and  again  been  ful- 
filled: "He  that  goeth  forth  and  reapeth, 
bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come 
again  with  rejoicing,  bearing  his  sheaves 
with  him." 


CHAPTER    IX 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS 


"  Assemble  the  .  .  .  little  ones  .  .  .  that  they 
may  hear  and  .  .  .  learn  and  fear  the  Lord  your 
God:'— Dent.  xiii:12. 

To  tell  the  story  of  the  work  carried  on 
in  connection  with  our  mission  schools  in 
New  ^Mexico  is  to  write  of  a  school  system 
with  marvellous  results,  many  of  them  un- 
known even  to  those  in  closest  contact  with 
it.  This  work  is  under  the  direct  manage- 
ment of  the  Woman's  Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions. All  the  property  secured  is  owned  by 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  buildings  are 
used  for  chapels  and  homes  for  missionaries 
and  teachers  as  well  as  for  school  purposes. 
The  Board  has  erected  sixty-six  buildings 
valued  at  nearly  $100,000.  There  are  twen- 
ty-nine mission  schools,  of  which  twenty- 
four  are  in  New  Mexico,  four  in  Colorado, 
and  one  in  California.  There  are  fifty-two 
teachers  with  nearly  two  thousand  pupils. 

These  teachers  have  been  compelled  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  work  to  invade  a  for- 
eign-speaking community  and  to  overcome 
69 


70  OUR    MEXICANS 

time-honored  prejudices.  They  have  had  to 
win  the  confidence  of  the  people  by  self- 
sacrificing  generosity  and  devotion  and  by 
kindly  ministrations  to  physical  needs  in 
times  of  trouble  and  distress.  They  have 
held  themselves  ready  at  a  moment's  call  to 
go  as  nurse,  ph5^sician,  minister,  sister,  and 
friend.  One  teacher,  when  the  smallpox 
threatened  the  plaza,  in  order  to  keep  the 
disease  from  spreading,  shut  herself  up  in 
a  little  room  with  the  only  patient  and  nursed 
him  through  it  all.  She  thus  prevented  a 
general  outbreak,  which  would  have  meant 
death  to  scores  of  people.  All  this  is  done 
even  yet  in  defiance  of  the  authority  of  wrath- 
ful priests,  who  in  their  churches  denounce 
our  teachers  and  threaten  the  people  with 
excommunication  if  they  send  their  children 
to  our  schools.  The  loneliness  is  often  dis- 
tressing, for,  while  it  is  not  the  policy  of 
the  Board  to  have  our  teachers  live  abso- 
lutely alone,  yet  it  is  not  always  possible  to 
secure  them  suitable  companionship.  When 
these  conditions  are  remembered  one  won- 
ders at  the  advancement  made  and  that  so 
seldom  a  word  of  complaint  is  heard  from 
any  in  that  devoted  band  of  missionaries. 

That  all  may  have  an  intelligent  knowl- 
edge of  the  work  of  the  Woman's  Board 
among  the   Mexican  people,  and  settle   for 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS  71 

themselves  the  question  often  raised  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  expending  in  it  so  much 
money,  I  wish  to  invite  my  readers  to  a  little 
trip  among  our  schools. 

We  cross  the  Raton  Pass  from  Colorado, 
and  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  reach  Raton, 
where  a  school  is  in  successful  operation. 
Here  Miss  Hills  taught  for  a  number  of 
years  and  rendered  lasting  services.  She 
was  followed  by  Miss  Laughlin,  who  for 
three  years  carried  on  most  successfully  the 
work  her  predecessor  had  begun.  Miss  Etta 
Moore,  after  a  few  months,  has  been  crowded 
to  the  door,  and  is  calling  loudly  and  plead- 
ing touchingly  for  help  to  meet  the  crying 
needs  of  over  fifty  bright-eyed  boys  and 
girls  waiting  for  admittance.  One's  first  ex- 
perience can  never  be  forgotten.  At  Raton 
one  Sunday  afternoon  I  first  addressed  a 
Mexican  congregation  and  observed  with 
that  interesting  band  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  As  I  remembered  that  only 
a  few  years  before  they  had  all  been  in  the 
darkness  of  heathenism  and  of  the  Peni- 
tentes,  and  that  it  was  not  many  years  since 
the  son  of  one  of  those  elders  had  been  mur- 
dered because  his  father  had  become  a  Prot- 
estant; as  I  visited  the  school  and  saw  the 
results  of  the  work,  I  could  but  exclaim, 
"What  hath  God  wrought!" 


72  OUR    MEXICANS 

A  reference  to  the  work  done  here  must 
serve  as  an  example  of  what  we  find  in  all 
our  schools.  All  the  exercises  are  in  Eng- 
lish. A  gospel  hymn  is  sung,  a  Psalm  or 
other  portion  of  Scripture  read,  and  some 
time  spent  in  memorizing  a  Bible  story  or 
a  part  of  the  Shorter  Catechism.  This  is 
followed  by  a  regular  course  of  study  in 
common-school  branches. 

After  a  few  hours*  travel  by  train  we 
reach  Watrous,  and  a  drive  of  thirty  miles 
brings  us  to  Hall's  Peak,  where,  in  October, 
1878,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  W.  Hall  opened 
a  mission  school.  They  have  grown  old  in 
the  work,  but  still  teach  those  boys  and  girls 
and  minister  in  untold  ways  to  the  temporal 
and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people  about 
them.  They  tell  with  enthusiasm  of  their 
early  experiences.  The  people  had  never 
seen  a  plough,  and  they  watched  with  intense 
interest  as  Mr.  Hall  put  in  his  first  crop. 
They  knew  nothing  of  the  use  of  milk,  and 
were  greatly  surprised  when  they  witnessed 
the  churning  process,  and  afterward  brought 
their  milk,  asking  to  have  it  made  into  but- 
ter. To-day  the  little  farms  are  well  tilled 
and  many  of  the  people  are  comfortably 
settled.  On  Sunday  the  little  church  is  well 
filled  with  devout  worshippers.  As  their 
labors  are  reviewed  one  is  impressed  with  the 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS  73 

importance  of  the  teacher's  life  and  manner 
of  living  as  much  as  with  his  work  in  the 
school-room. 

As  we  journey  on  we  pass  Buena  Vista 
and  Mora,  where  the  Woman's  Board  for- 
merly had  flourishing  schools,  but  in  the 
days  of  retrenchment  they  were  closed.  One 
prominent  merchant  of  the  latter  town,  in 
pleading  for  a  school,  gave  the  following 
testimony  to  their  worth:  "Wherever  your 
schools  are  we  find  our  best  people.  I  trade 
with  them  constantly.  I  give  them  credit 
whenever  they  wish,  and  I  have  never  lost  a 
cent  by  any  of  your  people."  The  Mora 
school  was  reopened  in  1903. 

Nine  miles  beyond  is  Agua  Negra,  one  of 
the  points  that  stands  out  prominently  in 
connection  with  the  early  work  of  our  schools 
in  New  Mexico.  Here  Miss  Anna  McNair 
and  Miss  Blackwell  have  charge,  and  the 
people  have  built  for  them  a  teachers'  home. 

El  Rito,  ten  miles  farther,  is  soon  reached, 
and  as  we  approach  we  see  the  church, 
school,  and  teacher's  home,  like  lights  on  the 
hillside.  Here  is  one  of  our  best  schools, 
with  Miss  S.  Louisa  Conklin  in  charge. 
Space  does  not  permit  even  the  mention  of 
the  faithful  ones  who  have  labored  here  in 
the  past,  but  none  have  done  better  work 
than  this  daughter  of  Long  Island. 


74  OUR    MEXICANS 

A  sixty-mile  drive  brings  us  to  the  Taos 
Valley,  which  has  played  an  important  part 
in  the  history  of  Protestantism  in  New 
Mexico.  The  journey  is  one  of  great  beauty. 
Here  we  climb  the  mountain  sides,  there 
dash  along  the  river's  bank.  For  miles  our 
eyes  feast  on  rugged  rocks,  covered  with 
pine  forests.  The  whole  journey  is  pictu- 
resque in  the  extreme.  Oh,  how  one  wishes 
to  be  an  artist  as  with  delight  he  looks  upon 
those  broad  plains,  hemmed  with  giant  mesas 
and  split  with  wild  canons !  But  another 
has  said:  "That  while  we  might  reproduce 
the  features,  we  could  not  the  expression; 
while  the  landmarks  might  be  photographed, 
not  the  wondrous  light  which  is  to  the  bare 
Southwest  the  soul  that  glorifies  the  plain 
face."  Through  opening  after  opening  are 
seen  in  the  distance  the  lofty  peaks  of  the 
Rockies  where  glistens  perpetual  snow. 

From  the  summit  of  the  mountain  we  look 
down  on  El  Rancho  de  Taos.  The  old  style 
of  houses,  the  old  picturesque  church  in  which 
their  dead  are  buried,  the  old  habits  and 
customs,  the  threshing  with  the  goats,  the 
drying  of  corn  and  beef — indeed,  their  every 
mode  of  living,  reminds  us  that  we  are  among 
a  people  whose  habits  and  customs  are  not 
our  own.  Soon  the  new  Presbyterian  mission 
house   comes   in   sight,   in   striking   contrast 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS  75 

with  the  former  one,  sixteen  feet  by  twelve. 
There,  twenty  years  ago,  thirty  pupils  were 
taught  by  Miss  Alice  Hyson,  who  still  labors 
here.  She  has  been  with  the  people  in  sorrow 
and  in  joy.  She  has  been  teacher,  nurse, 
doctor,  sister,  missionary,  and  friend  to  the 
whole  community.  She  long  ago  gave  her- 
self to  them.  Now  they  show  that  she  has 
reached  their  inner  life  and  struck  a  finer 
chord  of  living  there.  Here  is  one  of  our 
best  schools,  well  equipped  and  splendidly 
managed. 

Four  miles  distant  is  Taos,  where  we  find 
the  "Pyle  Memorial  School."  The  chapel 
answers  the  double  purpose  of  school-room 
and  church.  The  teacher  occupies  a  couple 
of  rooms  at  one  end,  where  she  cooks,  eats, 
sleeps,  receives  and  entertains  her  numerous 
guests.  In  all  these  respects  this  is  a  typical 
Mexican  mission  school.  The  Mexican 
mothers  come  into  these  clean,  tidy,  sweet 
teachers'  homes  and  go  away  with  new  views 
of  life,  and  try  as  they  have  never  done  to 
brighten  up  their  own  little  dwellings  and 
make  them  more  like  what  home  should  be. 
Here  Miss  Rebecca  Roland  taught  for  a 
number  of  years  and  won  a  place  in  many 
hearts  and  homes. 

Four  miles  on  is  "Prada  of  Taos,"  where 
the  Misses  Craig  are  found  with  their  two 


76  OUR    MEXICANS 

school-rooms  filled  with  pupils,  and  where 
for  fifteen  years  Miss  Elizabeth  Craig  has 
lived  with  and  for  the  people.  From  this 
school  have  come  some  of  our  brightest  and 
best  boys  and  girls. 

Journeying  onward,  we  pass  New  Colonias 
and  Arroyo  Seco,  where  schools  have  been 
maintained  for  a  short  time,  and  soon  we 
reach  Arroyo  Hondo.  Here  in  1900  a 
school  was  opened  by  Miss  Galbraith  and 
Miss  Stringfield.  The  people  were  exceed- 
ingly anxious  for  a  school  and  joyfully  as- 
sisted in  erecting  a  school-house.  The  pros- 
pects for  the  future  are  good. 

Turning  eastward,  after  a  day's  drive  we 
reach  Embudo,  where  for  seven  years  Miss 
Kate  Kennedy  lived  among  the  people  and 
spent  her  strength  endeavoring  to  raise  them 
to  true  manhood  and  womanhood.  From  the 
boys  of  Embudo  have  been  trained  two,  now 
in  preparation  for  the  Gospel  ministry,  and 
to  whom  all  look  forward  with  the  greatest 
hope  as  future  workers  in  the  vineyard.  On 
the  resignation  of  Miss  Kennedy,  in  1902, 
Miss  M.  Bertha  Leadingham  succeeded  to 
the  work.  Building  on  a  good  foundation, 
the  work  went  forward  with  amazing  rapid- 
ity and  the  greatest  interest  was  manifested, 
but  in  April,  1903,  the  disappointment  was 
great  in  the  plaza  when  their  teacher   was 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS  77 

removed  to  Santa  Fe  to  fill  the  place  vacated 
by  the  resignation  of  Miss  M.  L.  Allison. 
Miss  Isa  Dwire,  who  had  proved  herself  at 
Arroyo  Hondo,  succeeded  to  the  work,  and 
is  carrying  it  on  with  marked  success. 

Twenty  miles  from  Embudo,  over  the 
mountains,  in  one  of  the  isolated  parts  of 
New  Mexico,  we  find  Penasco,  where  since 
1888  Miss  S.  Zuver  has  conducted  the  mis- 
son  school.  Here,  ten  years  ago,  the  teacher 
was  attacked  by  a  robber,  but  by  her  bravery 
succeeded  in  driving  him  away.  Since  that 
time  she  has  stood  at  her  post,  spending  part 
of  each  year  at  Rio  Pueblo,  where  a  number 
of  children  live  without  any  other  school 
privileges. 

A  few  hours  over  a  mountain  road  and  we 
reach  Las  Truchas,  eleven  miles  east  of 
Chimayo.  In  these  plazas  are  found  two 
of  the  latest  established  mission  schools,  and 
yet  two  of  the  best.  Already  the  greatest 
changes  are  seen.  In  IQOO  the  Misses  Clark 
opened  school  with  six  pupils  in  a  little 
adobe  building  in  the  plaza.  Soon  the  room 
was  crowded  to  overflowing.  Then  the 
"John  Hyson  Memorial"  school  was  erected, 
and  after  three  years'  work  the  register 
shows  an  attendance  of  eighty.  So  much 
interested  did  the  people  at  Las  Truchas 
become   in   this    work   in   their    neighboring 


78  OUR    MEXICANS 

village  that  one  of  their  older  men  pleaded 
strongly  for  his  people: 

"Can  you  not  get  me  a  school  at  Las 
Truchas  for  my  people?  We  more  people 
there,  we  no  read,  no  write,  no  care  read  nor 
write." 

When  told  that  maybe  some  day  they 
would  have  a  school,  he  replied: 

"Some  day — that  no  good.  Me  die  some 
day.  Me  an  old  man,  sixty-five  years  old. 
Me  fight  for  the  American  Government  in 
the  Civil  War,  and  all  me  ask  is  a  school." 

This  simple  story  was  told  in  the  First 
Church,  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  at  once  a  splen- 
did company  of  volunteers  guaranteed  the 
salary  of  a  teacher,  and  in  October,  1902, 
Miss  Rebecca  Meeker  opened  a  school  in  this 
plaza,  one  of  the  most  needy  in  the  territory. 
Before  the  work  was  fairly  begun  sixty-six 
pupils  had  been  enrolled.  In  these  two 
plazas  churches  with  twenty-two  members 
have  been  organized. 

Trementina  is  another  of  the  New  Mexico 
schools  which  deserves  special  mention.  Miss 
Alice  Blake  was  comfortably  located  at 
Chaperito.  Finding  that  nearly  all  the  peo- 
ple were  compelled  to  move  down  the  valley 
early  in  the  spring  in  order  to  tend  their 
flocks.  Miss  Blake  proposed  to  follow  them 
and  teach  them  during  the  summer  months. 


OUR    PLAZA    SCHOOLS  79 

This  proposition  was  accepted  by  the 
Board,  and  the  result  has  been  the  erection 
by  the  people  of  a  school  chapel,  dedicated 
in  November,  1903,  and  the  organization  of 
a  school  of  sixty-two  pupils. 

Passing  south,  mention  can  only  be  made 
of  the  schools  at  Pajarito,  Los  Lentes,  So- 
corro, and  Las  Cruces,  in  which  two  hundred 
and  twenty-six  pupils  have  been  enrolled. 
To  tell  the  story  of  the  work  done  in  these 
schools  year  after  year  would  be  to  repeat 
the  story  of  what  has  been  accomplished  at 
the  places  already  mentioned. 

The  four  schools  in  Colorado  report  two 
hundred  and  thirty-one  in  attendance,  and 
Los  Angeles  school  reports  sixty-six. 


CHAPTER    X 

OUR    BOARDING-SCHOOLS 

"  My  people  are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge.** — ■ 
Hosea  iv:  16. 

The  Allison  School 

The  Allison  School,  at  Santa  Fe,  has  well 
been  called  "Our  pride  and  jewel."  Our 
first  mission  school  for  Mexican  children  was 
opened  here  by  Miss  C.  A.  Gaston,  of  Knox- 
ville.  111.,  now  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  John 
Menaul,  Albuquerque,  in  November,  1867, 
and  soon  forty  pupils  were  enrolled.  The 
property  which  had  been  owned  by  the  Bap- 
tists was  secured  and  the  buildings  repaired, 
and  the  school  was  soon  removed  from  an  up- 
stairs room  on  the  plaza  to  the  church.  Soon 
the  attention  of  the  bishop  was  directed  to 
the  Protestant  school,  which  was  vigorously 
denounced  and  all  who  attended  it  were 
threatened  with  excommunication.  After 
this  attack  the  school  was  at  first  very  small, 
but  the  attendance  gradually  increased. 

Miss  Gaston,  after  two  years'  excellent 
work,  left  to  labor  with  the  Rev.  J.  M.  and 
80 


OUR    BOARDING-SCHOOLS       81 

Mrs.  Roberts  among  the  Navajo  Indians. 
After  this  the  names  of  Miss  Mallory,  Mr. 
A.  G.  Daniels,  and  Mrs.  Perkins  appear  on 
the  records  as  teachers  in  Santa  Fe,  but  no 
further  record  is  given.  An  association  of 
ladies  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  formed  to  sustain 
a  teacher  in  Santa  Fe,  co-operated  with  the 
Board  of  Domestic  Missions  and  established 
the  Santa  Fe  mission  school.  In  1870  this 
association  was  dissolved  and  the  Ladies* 
Board  of  Missions  was  organized  and  as- 
sumed charge  of  the  school. 

Miss  M.  L.  Allison  reached  Santa  Fe  in 
May,  1881,  and  found  the  property  of 
the  Board  to  consist  of  a  dilapidated  adobe 
house  unfit  for  a  dwelling.  Little  by  little 
the  building  was  repaired  and  occupied,  until 
the  present  well-equipped  building  was 
erected,  largely  by  the  ladies  of  the  New 
York  Synod. 

In  1884  a  boarding  department  was  com- 
menced with  twelve  girls.  At  first  it  was 
difficult  to  persuade  the  girls  to  come  into 
the  home,  but  in  late  years  the  progress  has 
been  marked.  Twice  the  capacity  has  been 
enlarged,  and  still  the  school  is  overflowing. 
Although  eighty  were  in  attendance  during 
1902,  over  one  hundred  were  turned  away 
for  want  of  accommodation. 

The    girls   are   taught   not  only   common- 


82  OUR    MEXICANS 

school  branches  and  fitted  to  become  teach- 
ers in  the  puplic  schools  of  the  Territory,  but 
are  given  an  industrial  training — the  only- 
true  system  of  education  for  the  Mexican 
people.  Responsibility  is  throwm  upon  them. 
Work  which  has  been  looked  upon  as  de- 
grading is  raised  into  a  higher  position,  and 
the  pupils  are  taught  something  of  the  dig- 
nity of  labor.  In  addition  to  their  school- 
room studies  they  are  trained  in  housework 
and  given  lessons  in  vocal  and  instrumental 
music.  If  desired  they  are  also  taught  sew- 
ing in  general  and  finer  needlework  and 
embroidery.  In  a  word,  these  Mexican  girls 
are  so  taught  that  they  become  teachers  and 
leaders  of  their  own  people.  The  heart,  also, 
is  educated  as  well  as  the  mind  and  hand. 

Everywhere  throughout  the  Territory  this 
school  and  its  work  is  known,  and  lately  an 
ex-superintendent  of  education  for  New 
Mexico,  himself  a  INIexican  and  a  Roman 
Catholic,  bore  testimony  that  the  Santa  Fe 
school  for  jNIexican  girls  had  done  more  for 
New  Mexico  than  any  other  institution  in 
the  Territory.  Another  superintendent  of 
education  for  New  Mexico  showed  his  appre- 
ciation by  placing  his  own  daughter  in  the 
school  and  paying  the  full  amount  asked  for 
board  and  tuition. 

After  twenty-two  years  of  devoted  service 


OUR    BOARDING-SCHOOLS       83 

as  superintendent  of  this  school  that  now 
bears  her  name,  Miss  Allison  resigned  and 
severed  her  connection  with  the  work  in  New 
Mexico.  The  work  speaks  for  itself  and  will 
stand  through  coming  ages.  To  her  labors 
and  efficiency  are  due  the  great  importance 
of  this  school  and  its  wide-spread  influence 
for  good.  Hundreds  of  young  women  in 
New  Mexico  owe  all  the  training  they  have 
to  Miss  Allison  and  her  devoted  helpers. 

On  April  1st,  1903,  Miss  M.  Bertha  Lead- 
ingham,  of  Hammond,  N.  Y.,  who  had  spent 
one  year  in  Embudo  as  a  plaza  teacher,  suc- 
ceeded as  superintendent  of  this  school,  and 
with  a  devoted  band  of  helpers  continues  to 
prosecute  the  work  with  an  energy  and  skill 
which  promise  great  things  in  future  for  the 
Allison  School. 

The  Menaul  School 

The  Ladies'  Association  that  established 
the  school  at  Santa  Fe  did  not  exhaust  their 
energies  there,  but  next  year  began  to  raise 
funds  for  work  in  Las  Vegas.  The  Rev. 
John  Annin  was  the  pioneer  missionary  and 
teacher  in  Las  Vegas.  He  opened  a  school 
there  in  1871.  As  in  Santa  Fe,  the  school 
was  conducted  at  different  points  until  it  was 
comfortably    located    in    mission    buildings. 


84  OUR    MEXICANS 

The  work  of  that  school  has  been  greatly 
blessed,  and  its  ex-pupils  are  found  to-day 
in  all  parts  of  New  Mexico. 

In  1886  this  day-school  was  changed  into 
a  boarding-school  for  Mexican  girls  and 
boys.  Its  beginnings  were  small,  but  rap- 
idly increased  from  four  to  eighty-two  in 
three  years — 1886  to  1889-  The  boarding- 
school  continued  for  ten  years,  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1896,  was  removed  to  Albuquerque, 
where  only  boys  are  admitted. 

The  work  in  Albuquerque  had  been  begun 
in  1881  by  the  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  D.D., 
in  a  large  adobe  building  situated  in  a  little 
plaza  about  a  mile  north  of  Albuquerque. 
In  1885  the  school  was  moved  to  its  present 
site  and  was  continued  as  a  contract  school 
for  boys  until  the  Government  erected  their 
large  plant  and  equipped  it  so  well  that  the 
Board  felt  that  the  need  for  their  work  was 
greater  elsewhere,  and  hence  closed  the 
school  for  a  time.  In  1895  the  boarding  de- 
partment of  the  Las  Vegas  school  for  Mex- 
ican boys  was  transferred  to  its  present  site. 

The  name  "Menaul  School"  was  given  in 
the  spring  of  1897  in  memory  of  the  Rev. 
James  A.  Menaul,  who  as  S3^nodical  mission- 
ary for  the  Synod  of  New  Mexico  for  seven 
years  did  so  much  to  advance  the  interests 
of  the  work  within  the  bounds  of  the  synod. 


OUR    BOARDING-SCHOOLS       85 

The  attendance  here  has  been  from  seventy 
to  eighty  annually,  and  every  year  over  one 
hundred  have  been  turned  away  for  want 
of  accommodation.  In  1902  over  two  hun- 
dred were  refused.  The  pleading  of  parents 
for  their  boys  was  in  many  cases  pathetic. 
Every  place  is  promised  long  before  the 
opening  in  September,  and  each  pupil  is  ad- 
mitted under  agreement  to  remain  ujitil 
school  closes  in  May.  Miss  Anna  McNair 
was  the  first  superintendent.  She  started 
the  work  in  Albuquerque.  Since  her  resig- 
nation in  1898  Mr.  J.  C.  Ross,  with  Mrs. 
Ross  as  matron,  and  a  band  of  teachers  of 
whom  the  Church  may  well  be  proud,  has 
carried  on  the  work  with  marked  success. 

The  class-room  work  includes  all  grades 
from  the  primary  to  the  eighth,  and  as  the 
pupils  advance  the  grades  are  being  in- 
creased from  year  to  year,  so  that  eventually 
the  standard  may  be  brought  up  to  that  of 
high-school  work.  All  teaching  is  in  Eng- 
lish, and  the  results  are  very  satisfactory. 
Some  of  the  ex-pupils  are  now  teachers  in 
the  public  schools  and  are  classed  among  the 
best.  Others  have  chosen  other  lines  of  work 
and  are  doing  well.  The  Bible  is  one  of  the 
text-books,  and  the  boys  are  taught  its  pre- 
cepts day  by  day.  The  home  work  is  per- 
formed by  the  boys  under  the  direction  of  a 


86  OUR    MEXICANS 

competent  teacher.  The  older  boys  attend 
to  repairing  and  look  after  the  farm  work. 

It  is  most  desirable  that  water  be  secured 
for  irrigation  purposes,  either  by  ditches  or 
pumps,  so  that  a  small  farm  may  be  culti- 
vated to  advantage.  At  a  cost  of  $2,000  or 
$2,500  an  engine  and  pumps  should  be  se- 
cured and  placed  in  position  to  enable  the 
school  so  to  irrigate  twenty  or  twenty-five 
acres  as  not  only  to  teach  farming,  but  pro- 
duce a  revenue  sufficient  to  meet  the  current 
expenses  of  the  school. 

At  no  time  in  the  history  of  this  school 
have  the  prospects  been  so  bright  as  at  the 
present.  For  several  years  it  was  felt  that 
more  accommodation  was  a  necessity.  In  the 
spring  of  1902  this  matter  was  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  friends  in  the  East.  The 
result  is  a  $10,000  building,  called  "Pierson 
Hall,"  in  memory  of  the  lamented  secretary 
of  the  Woman's  Board.  It  is  expected  that 
one  hundred  and  fifty  bright  boys  and  young 
men  will  here  be  educated  year  after  year. 
Already  all  the  available  room  has  been  spoken 
for,  and  again  scores  will  have  to  be  refused. 

Albuquerque   Training  School 

The  story  of  the  educational  work  in  the 
Synod  of  New  Mexico  would  be  incomplete 


Pierson  Hall,  Albuquerque,  N.  M. 


OUR    BOARDING-SCHOOLS       87 

without  reference  to  the  training  school  for 
Mexican  evangelists^  helpers,  and  ministers. 
For  a  number  of  years  the  College  of  the 
Southwest  at  Del  Norte,  Colorado,  did  much 
to  train  young  men  who  were  to  become  the 
native  pastors  and  evangelists.  To  the  late 
Rev.  F.  M.  Gilchrist  is  due  the  credit  of 
inaugurating  this  work.  On  his  recommenda- 
tion a  class  of  young  men  was  gathered  to- 
gether in  connection  with  Del  Norte  College. 
This  class  was  placed  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Gilchrist.  These  six  young  men  com- 
pleted the  proposed  course  in  1893.  After 
this  a  number  of  men  who  were  able  to  take 
college  studies  were  collected  at  Del  Norte. 
About  the  same  time  a  summer  school  for 
evangelists  was  held  at  Las  Vegas.  After 
careful  consideration  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions  established  a  training  school  for 
native  ministers  in  1902,  in  connection  with 
the  Menaul  School  at  Albuquerque,  New 
Mexico. 

The  Rev.  Henry  C.  Thomson,  D.D.,  was 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  this  department. 
It  was  started  under  the  most  favorable  au- 
spices. During  the  first  year  ten  young  men 
were  in  attendance  with  the  Gospel  ministry 
in  view.  The  students  not  only  pursue  their 
studies,  but  preach  on  Sundays  in  the  out- 
lying districts  that  can  be  reached  from  Al- 


88  OUR    MEXICANS 

buquerque.  During  the  summer  months  six 
of  the  young  men  are  employed  as  evange- 
lists, and  from  all  their  fields  of  labor  come 
tidings  of  the  good  work  performed.  At  the 
close  of  the  school  year  an  evangelistic  con- 
ference is  held  for  two  weeks,  in  which  not 
only  the  students  but  the  Mexican  mission- 
aries and  evangelists  in  the  work  take  part. 
The  Evangelistic  Committee  of  the  General 
Assembly  has  co-operated  with  the  Board  of 
Home  Missions  to  accomplish  this,  and  no 
better  work  can  be  done. 

Those  who  have  studied  the  question  most 
carefully  are  convinced  that  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  Mexican  people  must  be  largely 
effected  by  means  of  a  native  ministry.  Just 
as  soon  as  possible  we  ought  to  have  in  this 
training  school  a  score  of  young  men  for  our 
own  mission  work,  and  as  many  more  to  fill 
the  calls  that  come  from  the  regions  beyond. 


CHAPTER    XI 

PERSONAL    PICTURES 

"/  have  redeemed  thee." — Isa:  Ixiii.  1. 

An  introduction  to  some  of  the  native  min- 
isters will  be  of  interest  to  all  who  pray  and 
give  for  the  extension  of  this  work. 

Jose  Ynes  Perea 

The  Rev.  Jose  Ynes  Perea,  of  Pajarito, 
was  born  in  Bernalillo,  New  Mexico,  in  1837. 
He  is  the  son  of  the  late  Don  Juan  Perea, 
who  spent  two  years  in  New  York  for  medi- 
cal treatment.  While  there  he  embraced  the 
Protestant  religion,  but  on  the  entreaties  and 
tears  of  his  wife  he  returned  to  the  Romish 
fold.  The  family  were  endued  with  Amer- 
ican feelings  and  were  advanced  for  the 
times  in  which  they  lived.  There  being  no 
priest  nearer  than  Isleta,  it  was  agreed  that 
the  baptism  of  the  child  should  take  place  in 
that  Indian  pueblo.  The  uncle  and  aunt  were 
invited  to  take  part  in  the  ceremony.  When 
89 


90  OUR    MEXICANS 

the  day  appointed  arrived,  a  carreta  (wagon) 
was  provided,  and  with  two  ox-teams  the 
journey  was  begun.  All  went  well  until  the 
river  was  reached.  Before  entering  a  few 
ejaculations  were  uttered — "Ave  Maria/' 
"Jesus  Maria  y  Jose."  Then  thinking  them- 
selves secure,  they  entered  the  current,  but 
soon  found  themselves,  babe  and  all,  indulg- 
ing in  a  bath  in  the  Rio  Grande.  All  es- 
caped, and  after  a  thorough  drying  in  the 
house  of  a  friendly  Indian  they  appeared 
before  the  priest.  Alas,  alas !  with  the  fright 
of  the  bath  all  had  forgotten  the  name  the 
mother  gave  the  child.  The  priest  in  wrath 
produced  an  almanac  which  contained  the 
names  of  the  saints  for  every  day  in  the 
year.  Remembering  that  the  child  was  born 
on  April  23d,  they  found  that  the  saint  of 
that  day  was  "Ynes  del  Monte  Pulciano." 
The  imcle  declared  that  the  parents  would 
not  like  the  name  "Yiies,"  that  being  a  wom- 
an's name  (Agnes).  The  priest,  however, 
insisted,  and  the  child  was  called  "  Ynes." 
This  was  very  distasteful  to  the  mother,  as 
she  had  wished  her  son  to  be  called  "Ig- 
nacio." 

When  but  a  boy  "Jose  Yfies"  was  sent  to 
New  York  to  attend  a  French  school.  The 
Bible  was  not  allowed  in  the  school.  One 
day    during   recess    as    Jose   was    passing    a 


PERSONAL    PICTURES  91 

class-room  he  noticed  a  number  of  boys  hid- 
ing something.  On  promising  not  to  tell, 
they  showed  him  the  book,  and  together  they 
continued  reading.  It  was  a  Bible,  and  from 
the  reading  of  that  book  Jose  Yiies  Perea 
dates  his  conversion. 

Some  time  after  this  a  friend,  who  still 
lives  and  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  New 
Mexico,  visited  the  boy  in  New  York.  Be- 
fore leaving,  he  said: 

"Jose,  is  there  anything  you  would  like.'*" 
To  this  the  boy  replied: 
"I  wish  you  would  get  me  a  Bible." 
The   request   was    granted,    and   the   book 
thus  secured  proved  to  be  "the  power  of  God 
unto   salvation"    to   the    young   seeker   after 
truth. 

When  Jose  returned  home  he  was  told: 
"You  must  be  a  Catholic  while  under  age." 
This  drove  the  boy  from  home.  He  left 
for  New  Orleans,  where  he  secured  work  on 
shipboard.  He  sailed  to  Rio  Janeiro,  Mobile, 
Liverpool,  Calcutta,  and  the  Sandwich  Isl- 
ands, and  back  to  Boston. 

In  1859,  while  in  Boston,  there  was  a 
great  revival,  in  which  Jose  became  deeply 
concerned.  A  gentleman  took  a  deep  inter- 
est in  the  Mexican  boy  and  wrote  to  a  friend, 
who  corresponded  with  Don  Juan  Perea,  and 
soon  the  boy  was  home.     Here  he  remained 


92  OUR    MEXICANS 

in  charge  of  his  father's  large  flocks  of  sheep 
until  Mr.  Annin  came  to  Las  Vegas  and 
found  him  the  only  Protestant  in  the  place. 

On  the  organization  of  the  church  there 
in  1868  Mr.  Jose  Yiles  Perea  was  ordained 
the  first  elder^  and  was  thus  the  first  native 
Mexican  to  represent  a  congregation  on  the 
floor  of  presbytery.  In  a  few  years  Mr. 
Perea  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  and 
afterward  ordained  to  the  Gospel  ministry. 
Mr.  Perea  has  thus  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  fruits  of  Protestant  work  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  New  Mexico.  Since  then 
Mr.  Perea  has  labored  faithfully  among  his 
people  and  done  much  good  in  winning  them 
to  a  truer,  purer,  and  higher  life. 


Gahino  Rendon 

Gabino  Rendon  was  born  in  Las  Vegas, 
New  Mexico,  in  February,  1864.  His  father 
was  a  farmer  and  served  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  Civil  War.  He  never  joined  any 
Protestant  church,  but  often  said,  what  many 
of  his  fellow-countrymen  believe,  that  "the 
priests  and  the  wolves  were  the  cause  of 
New  Mexico's  poverty."  He  studied  the 
Bible  and  argued  strongly  in  favor  of  Prot- 
estantism.      His    last    sickness    seized    him 


Kev.  Gabiiio  Reiulon 


PERSONAL    PICTURES  93 

when  accompanying  his  son  on  a  missionary 
trip.     He  died  in  July,  1903. 

Gabino's  mother  died  when  her  son  was 
only  fourteen  years  old,  and  his  early  life 
was  one  of  difficulty  and  trial.  He  received 
his  early  education  in  a  mission  school  con- 
ducted by  the  Rev.  John  A.  Annin  and  his 
daughters,  Laura  and  Rebecca,  in  Las  Vegas. 

In  1877  he  attended  the  Jesuits'  College 
for  one  year,  but  on  the  death  of  his  mother 
he  was  under  the  necessity  of  assisting  in 
providing  for  his  sisters  and  himself.  This 
led  the  boy  into  bad  company,  where  he  sold 
liquor  for  others  and  afterward  for  himself. 
When  the  mission  school  was  reopened  by 
Miss  Annie  M.  Speakman  she  persuaded  the 
boy  to  attend.  Let  Mr.  Rendon  tell  how  he 
decided  to  gain  an  education: 

"I  was  visiting  a  little  store  in  the  neigh- 
borhood with  some  of  my  schoolmates  who 
had  been  with  me  both  at  Mr.  Annin's  school 
and  at  the  Jesuits'  school.  A  man  came  in 
and  asked  the  owner  of  the  store  to  write 
an  order  for  him  in  English.  The  young 
man  took  the  pen  and  began  to  write,  and  I, 
without  saying  a  word,  went  home.  A  very 
uncomfortable  feeling  came  over  me.  I  be- 
gan to  sweat  at  the  thought,  *What  if  he  had 
asked  me  to  write  the  order?'  For,  simple 
as  it  was,  I  would  have  been  compelled  to  tell 


94  OUR    MEXICANS 

him  that  I  did  not  know  how.  Right  there 
I  formed  this  resolution:  'Now  I  have  just 
started  anew  going  to  school,  and  even  if  I 
am  jeered  at  I  am  going  to  learn  whatever 
may  be  necessary  for  me  to  write  in  the  Eng- 
lish language.' 

"Three  years  after  I  was  called  into  the 
same  place  and  asked  to  write  an  English 
order,  which  I  did  without  hesitation,  and 
there  was  joy  in  my  heart.  Then  I  con- 
trasted the  two  scenes,  and  I  realized  that 
I  had  gained  a  victory." 

After  this  the  teacher  invited  young  Ren- 
don  to  a  Sunday-school,  and  he  was  im- 
pressed with  the  regard  that  the  Protestants 
had  for  the  Lord's  day.  Little  by  little  he 
became  interested  and  more  regular  at  Sun- 
day-school and  on  Sunday  services. 

Again  let  Mr.  Rendon  speak: 

"I  soon  quit  going  to  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  even  the  idea  had  entered  my  mind,  'I 
might  leave  it  altogether  and  join  the  Protes- 
tant Church.'  But,  no,  that  could  never  be. 
I  had  been  a  strong  devotee  of  the  Virgin 
Mary.  She  had  been  mediator  between  me 
and  God,  but  I  found  that  Scripture  was 
directly  opposed  to  my  belief.  'I  am  the 
way,  the  truth,  and  the  life;  no  one  cometh 
to  the  Father  but  by  me.'  The  question  was, 
which  was  right,  my  early  teaching  or  the 


PERSONAL   PICTURES  95 

teaching  of  Christ  ?  Although  it  took  a  long 
time  to  decide,  the  decision  was  in  favor  of 
the  Word  of  God.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
years  I  experienced  the  new  birth.  Doubts 
often  bothered  me  until  I  read  1  Timothy  ii. 
5:  'There  is  one  mediator  between  God  and 
man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus.'  Then  I  was 
firmly  established  in  the  Protestant  faith, 
and  in  March,  1885,  joined  the  Protestant 
Church." 

In  the  following  year  Mr.  Rendon  was 
elected  an  elder  of  the  Spanish  church  at  Las 
Vegas.  In  1888  he  was  engaged  as  a  teacher 
in  Mora  County,  and  in  addition  to  his  school 
duties,  other  work  was  prosecuted,  and  Mr. 
Manuel  Barcelon,  now  one  of  our  devoted 
evangelists,  was  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth.  In  1890  Mr.  Rendon  was  induced 
to  attend  the  special  training  class  at  Del 
Norte,  where  he  studied  three  years. 

As  soon  as  his  course  was  completed  Mr. 
Rendon  was  engaged  by  the  Home  Mission 
Committee  of  the  Pueblo  Presbytery  to  labor 
as  an  evangelist,  and  through  his  labors  the 
church  at  San  Pablo  was  organized.  Mr. 
Rendon  returned  to  college  for  a  year  and 
a  half,  and  then  went  back  to  his  evangelistic 
work. 

In  1899  he  was  ordained  to  the  Gospel 
ministry,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  Pueblo 


96  OUR    MEXICANS 

Fifth  Church  and  surrounding  churches.  In 
October,  1 900,  Mr.  Rendon  accepted  an  ap- 
pointment to  Santa  Fe  as  missionary  to  the 
Spanish  church  there.  Since  that  time  his 
work  has  been  marked  by  that  zeal  and  ear- 
nestness which  a  true  missionary  needs.  He 
has  been  moderator  of  the  Santa  Fe  Pres- 
bytery, and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by 
all  his  brethren. 

He  has  been  adopted  by  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  as  their 
missionary,  and  has  the  oversight  of  the 
churches  of  Santa  Fe  (Spanish),  Chimayo, 
El  Quemado,  Las  Truches,  and  Embudo.  In 
October,  1903,  he  was  unanimously  elected 
moderator  of  the  Synod  of  New  Mexico. 
The  first  native  Mexican  to  hold  that  posi- 
tion, he  filled  the  office  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  all  the  brethren.  May  he  long  be 
spared  to  labor  for  his  fellow-men! 

John  Whitloch 

Mr.  John  Whitlock  was  converted,  like 
many  others,  through  the  reading  of  God's 
Word  and  trying  to  find  out  if  the  Virgin 
Mary  is  really  an  interceder.  In  1875  there 
was  organized  at  ^Mora  a  debating  society, 
of  which  young  Whitlock  was  a  member. 
Here  the  question  was  asked:  "Is  the  Virgin 


PERSONAL    PICTURES  97 

Mary  an  interceder  between  God  and  man?" 
The  priest  was  chosen  to  answer  the  ques- 
tion, but  failed  to  do  so  to  the  satisfaction 
of  this  young  man  seeking  for  truth.  He 
then  began  to  read  the  Bible  for  himself, 
and  in  company  with  others  left  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  Soon  after  this  Mr.  An- 
nin  visited  Agua  Negra  and  preached  the 
Gospel  there.  Whitlock  became  deeply  in- 
terested. In  1879  the  Rev.  Mr.  Eastman 
and  others  visited  that  district  and  held 
meetings,  and  as  one  was  preaching  from 
the  text,  "Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye 
die.^"  Whitlock  says: 

"I  could  resist  the  Spirit  no  longer.  I 
turned  from  my  wicked  ways,  and  in  March, 
1867j,  I  made  an  open  confession  of  my  faith 
in  Christ." 

In  1883  Mr.  Whitlock  was  employed  as 
a  colporteur  by  the  Board  of  Publication  and 
travelled  through  the  northern  counties  dis- 
tributing tracts  and  other  good  literature. 
In  1884  Mr.  Whitlock  was  appointed  to  assist 
the  Rev.  John  Annin  at  Las  Vegas.  The 
church  had  become  very  weak,  but  was  soon 
revived.  Mr.  Whitlock  continued  to  labor 
in  the  Las  Vegas  districts  until  1892,  when 
he  was  removed  to  Taos,  and  in  1898  to  Lum- 
berton,  where  he  is  now  the  missionary  to  that 
whole  region,  Rio  Arriba  County. 


CHAPTER    XII 

ENCOURAGEMENTS    AND    OUTLOOK 

"  Go  in  to  possess  the  land." — Josh. :  i.  11. 

In  April,  1904,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
reported  in  New  Mexico  thirty-one  churches 
among  the  Spanish-speaking  people,  with  a 
membership  of  over  one  thousand.  In  Cali- 
fornia there  are  five  churches  with  a  mem- 
bership of  about  two  hundred,  and  in  Colorado 
twelve  churches  with  a  membership  of  nearly 
four  hundred.  In  New  Mexico  four  of  the 
ordained  missionaries  are  natives,  and  in 
Colorado,  three.  In  addition,  there  are  about 
twenty-five  evangelists  and  helpers,  all  of 
whom  are  natives. 

By  taking  a  review  of  the  work  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  Synod  of  New 
Mexico  for  the  last  five  years  we  find  only 
encouragement. 

On  October  1st,  1898,  there  were  forty-two 
organized  churches,  of  which  only  three  were 
self-sustaining,  with  a  membership  of  nine- 
teen hundred  and  eighty-six.  These  churches 
were  ministered  to  by  twenty-one  ordained 
ministers  and  twenty  evangelists. 


ENCOURAGEMENTS  99 

On  October  1st,  1903,  there  were  reported 
sixty-four  organized  churches,  and  six  mis- 
sions where  as  yet  no  organization  is  com- 
pleted. Of  these  nine  are  self-sustaining. 
The  membership  is  forty-four  hundred  and 
forty-six,  of  which  one  thousand  are  Mexicans 
and  fifteen  hundred  Indians.  There  were 
added  to  the  church  during  the  year  ending 
October  1st,  1903,  six  hundred  and  ninety-five 
members,  of  whom  two  hundred  are  Indians. 
These  churches  are  ministered  to  by  forty- 
two  ordained  ministers  and  twenty-five  evan- 
gelists and  helpers. 

During  these  years  there  have  been  erected 
or  are  now  in  course  of  erection  nineteen 
churches,  ten  manses,  and  six  school  chapels, 
and  during  the  year  ending  October  1st,  1903, 
the  congregations  report  as  raised  for  all 
church  purposes  $56,404,  or  $10,000  more 
than  was  raised  in  any  preceding  year. 

With  such  marked  advance  all  along,  for 
which  all  are  truly  thankful,  we  look  for- 
ward with  faith  and  hope  to  the  coming 
years. 

With  a  total  population  nearing  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand,  made  up  of  Indians, 
native  Mexicans,  foreigners  from  every  land, 
and  Americans ;  with  mining  and  agricultural 
interests  developing  so  rapidly;  with  the 
great  railroad   systems   everywhere    opening 


100  OUR    MEXICANS 

up  the  country;  with  springing  villages, 
growing  towns,  and  enlarging  cities ;  with  the 
prospects  of  being  admitted  to  statehood  at 
an  early  date,  the  duty  of  individual  Chris- 
tians and  of  the  Church  is  very  clear. 

Just  as  in  other  new  States  the  herald  of 
the  Cross  will  be  met  with  infidelity,  intem- 
perance, and  worldliness.  These  will  stand, 
as  they  now  do,  in  keen  competition  for  the 
contrpl  of  these  States.  Anarchy  and  every- 
thing that  threatens  public  security  will 
spring  from  unevangelized  masses.  In  addi- 
tion to  all  these  evils  which  are  met  else- 
where, we  have  to  meet  the  fact  that  in  this 
America  of  ours  40,000  Indians  and  175,000 
American-born  Mexicans  are  living  without 
the  pure  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  which  alone 
can  mould  and  fashion  and  fit  for  true  citi- 
zenship here  and  happiness  hereafter. 

In  view  of  all  these  facts,  O  Church  of 
Christ,  in  this  favored  land,  come  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against 
the  mighty! 

*'  The  time  of  hope 

And  of  probation  speeds  on  rapid  wings 

Swift  and  returnless  ;  what  thou  hast  to  do 

Do  with  thy  might.     Haste,  lift  aloud  thy  voice 

And  publish  to  the  border  of  the  pit 

The  resurrection.     Then  when  the  ransomed  come 

With  gladness  unto  Zion,  thou  shalt  joy  to  hear 


ENCOURAGEMENTS  101 

The  valley  and  the  hills  break  forth 
Before  thee  into  singing.     Thou  shalt  join 
The  raptured  strain,  exulting  that  the  Lord 
Jehovah,  God  Omnipotent,  doth  reign 
O'er  all  the  earth." 


NATIVE    MEXICAN    WORKERS. 

(See  Frontispiece.) 

1.  Rev.  John  M.  Whitlock,     .     Lumberton,  N.  M. 

2.  Vincente  F.  Romero  (Lie),     .     •      Taos,  N.  M 

3.  Juan  G.  Quintana,      .     .     .     Las  Cruces,  N.  M. 

4.  Lucas  Martinez, Vallecitos,  N.  M. 

5.  Juan  B.  Torres, Raton,  N.  M. 

6.  Juan  Baros  (student),      .     .  Albuquerque,  N.  M. 

7.  Eliseo  C.  Cordova  (student),  Albuquerque,  N.  M. 

8.  Juan  G.  Sanchez,  ....      Las  Vegas,  N.  M. 

9.  Tomas  Atencio  (student),  .  .  Chimayo,  N.  M. 
10.  Manuel  Barcelon,  ....  Hall's  Peak,  N.  M. 
IL  Rafael  Q.  Martinez Metcalf,  Ariz. 

12.  Manuel  Sandoval, Chacon,  N.  M. 

13.  Rev.  Gabino  Rendon,      .     .     .     Santa  Fe,  N.  M. 

14.  Teofilo  Tafoya  (student),      .  Albuquerque,  N.  M. 

15.  Rev.  Jose  Ynes  Perea,    .     .     .      Pajarito,  N.  M. 

16.  Sam  Sant  Van  Wagner  (student), 

Albuquerque,  N.  M. 

17.  Rev.  John  Mordy, Laguna,  N.  M. 

18.  Abelino  Aguirre, Penasco,  N.  M. 

19.  Rev.  William  Wallace,  *      .     .     Saltillo,  Mexico. 

20.  Rev.  Henry  C.  Thomson,  D.  D.,t 

Albuquerque,  N.  M. 

21.  Rev.  Matthias  Matthieson,       .       Socorro,  N.  M. 

22.  Jose  Emiterio  Cruz,    .     .     .      Trementina,  N.  M. 

23.  Rev.  Manuel  Madrid Mora,  N.  M. 

*  Assisting  in  conference  by  request. 

t  In  charge  of  Training  Class  for  Evangelists. 


DATE  DUE 

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